And he wasn’t about to return it.
After several moments of handling the ball near the surface of the water, the octopus decided to take his new plaything back home.
“He wrapped his tentacle around the ball and disappeared!” Creighton said. “We stood there for about 20 minutes, hoping the ball would surface, but no luck. It was gone!”
Considering that tennis balls are buoyant, the octopus must have been gripping it quite carefully as he carried it into the depths.
The ball was lost. But thankfully, Lucy’s day at the beach wasn’t totally ruined.
She just went on playing, unbothered by the fact that someone else now had her toy.
“She is such a gentle soul,” Creighton said.
There’s no telling why the octopus would want to steal a tennis ball, or what his plans were with it. But the dog’s owner has a guess: “He’s probably playing fetch with his buddies,” Creighton said.
As for Lucy?
“She was back in the water the next day with a brand-new ball!”