Fishermen off of Canada’s Vancouver Island saved a bald eagle this week as it struggled in the clutches of a giant octopus.
The fishermen worked at Mowi Canada West, the leading salmon aquaculture company in British Columbia.
Wrote Mowi: “Our staff at our Mahatta West farm in Quatsino rescued an eagle that had bitten off more than it could chew when it tried to catch an octopus. They are used to seeing the wonders of nature around them on a regular basis, but they knew that this was a once in a lifetime experience. The octopus swam away unharmed and the eagle recovered on a branch for around 10 minutes before it flew away.”
Said salmon farmer John Ilett: “We weren’t sure if we should interfere because it is mother nature, survival of the fittest. But it was heart wrenching — to see this octopus was trying to drown this eagle. I was able to just latch on to the octopus and give it a little tug. It released its grip … which gave the eagle just enough time to get to shore. We weren’t sure exactly how it was going to go down when I tested the pole.”
