An Emotional Support Dog, Cat, or… Octopus?

Did you watch the Netflix documentary ‘My Octopus Teacher’? In the movie, you’ll see the unusual friendship between a human and an octopus living in a South African kelp forest. The filmmaker documents the animal sharing the mysteries of the underwater world.

Many people who watched the documentary might assume that octopuses are playful, curious creatures. But if that’s what you think you might have missed the start of the movie. Sure, the octopus in the documentary seems friendly, even wants to be petted and seems to appreciate the human companionship. Nature can be odd, but beautiful at the same time.

Enter: the Teacher

The movie starts however with the story of Craig Foster, a man being unhappy with his life, burned out and depressed. To find a distraction for his troubled mind he starts going back to doing something he used to love: swimming and snorkelling. This is when he first meets his octopus teacher. Over time Foster develops a rare connection with the animal.

The movie isn’t a…