Having entered the black and tranquil water for countless times over a three-month period, I told myself that this might be the night. Three months I had been looking for a southern blue-ringed octopus with no luck. But as it turned out, patience was truly a virtue. Cruising between the wooden pylons of Blairgowrie Marina near Melbourne in Australia, a site I had dived countless times before I spotted something unusual in front of me. As my video light began to illuminate this strange being as I got closer and closer, my heart skipped a beat. There before me was this strange yellow grey clump of sand with arms, slowly but methodically moving with purpose, almost like its arms were thinking independently of its body. The scene reminded me of an underwater ballet.

As I got closer, those quintessential blue rings flashed like neon lights as the creature’s attention turned to me and its movement slowed. Finally, I had found a southern blue-ringed octopus. Three months of heartache and searching had yielded one of my most incredible dives yet. I was fortunate to spend 15 minutes with the elusive octopus as it hunted and searched the sandy sea floor. My passion for octopuses had only just begun, and whether it’s my first or 400th blue ring octopus, I still feel that same excitement and thrill today. With passion burning and camera ready, it was time for me to become an octopus photographer.