Fisherman attacked by octopus near Palawan

A fisherman named Jeser Cervantes experienced a life-threatening encounter with an octopus on July 10, 2026, near Puerto Princesa island in Palawan, Philippines. While on a wooden boat, Cervantes hauled in the octopus, which suddenly lunged at his face, wrapping its tentacles and suction cups around his head and blocking his mouth in a way that threatened to cause asphyxiation.

To save himself, Cervantes used a piece of bamboo to strike the animal repeatedly until it loosened its grip. The fisherman described the event as a struggle where the creature nearly ripped his face off before he finally managed to throw it back into the ocean. Octopuses are known for their intelligence and suction capabilities, which allow them to attach firmly to surfaces and prey, though such direct aggressive interactions with humans on boats remain rare incidents.