Photographer captures incredible battle between seal and giant octopus

A photographer captured an amazing ten-minute battle between a harbour seal and a giant octopus in Victoria, Canada.

Bob Ianson, who owns Heirloom Linens, was walking with his family when he saw the incredible scene and took out his camera.

Seal Bites More Octopus Than It Can Chew

Speaking to The Huffington Post, he said: "Up popped what at first looked like two seals but once they got up to the surface I realised it was one seal with something in its mouth - which turned out to be an octopus.

Post by Bob Ianson.

"The seal came up with this thing in its mouth, and it was almost as if he looked me in the eye, and presented it to me and said, 'Look what I have!' He was looking right at me."

After around ten minutes, the octopus gave up but Ianson said it was not a one-sided fight.

Post by Bob Ianson.

"The third time he came back up, the octopus was wrapped around the seal... The octopus literally had the entire head of the seal."

Research biologist Chad Nordstrom at Vancouver Aquarium told CBC News that while capturing the battle on film was rare, "octopus is a regular part of the harbour seal's diet".