A sticky-fingered octopus has turned the tables on a videographer at a Vermont research lab who was trying to record him , snatching his camera and snapping a few photos of his own . Benjamin Savard , a digital media producer at Middlebury College , was testing out a GoPro camera in the octopus tank Monday when the mischievous sea creature took matters into his own tentacles . After the impromptu photo session , the California two-spot octopus tried to take a bite out of the pricey camera submerged in his tank , but eventually lost interest . Say , 'Cheese ' ! Benjamin Savard ( bottom ) , a digital media producer at Middlebury College in Vermont , was testing out a GoPro camera in the octopus tank when the mischievous creature grabbed the device . Camera shy : The octopus reached a tentacle and grabbed hold of the camera in its waterproof casing . Photographer turns subject : The cephalopod swung the GoPro device around and trained it on Savard and a female researcher . Experiment : Savard ( left and right ) was hoping to make a sequence of images to accompany research work on the behavior of the California two-spot octopus - a species known for its intelligence and friendly demeanor . In focus : After a few blurry attempts , the octopus got this crystal-clear shot of the filmmaker . Neuroscience students at Middlebury College have been studying whether the octopus species , known for their intelligence and friendly disposition , can open boxes containing food more quickly by observing their eight-legged peers . Savard placed the GoPro camera in a waterproof casing and set it to automatically take rapid-fire photos per second before placing it inside the octopus tank , reported the Washington Post . The filmmaker was hoping to make a sequence of images to accompany the students ' research work on cephalopod behavior . Most octopuses in the reservoir ignored the device , but one feisty specimen took hold of the camera and trained it on Savard , snapping a couple of good-quality pictures showing the bespectacled producer dressed in a white lab coat . Savard shared the snapshots on Reddit , where they became a huge hit with users . Some wary redditors have accused Savard of staging the photo shoot , but the filmmaker assured them that it was not a stunt . As proof , he posted the entire series of photos featuring the moment the critter reaches a tentacle to grab the camera , turns it around and trains it on Savard and a female researcher standing behind him . Savard later compiled the photo sequence into a gif . ‘ I was just trying to brainstorm different ideas of how to show off the kind of unique research that ’ s going on here and in ways that would be engaging , ’ Savard explained on Reddit . ‘ I think the octopus ’ s timing was great . I was just in the right place at the right time. ’ Snack attack : After the impromptu photo shoot , the sassy octopus tried to take a bite out of the pricey camera submerged in his tank . Viral : Savard , pictured left and right with First Lady Michelle Obama , shared the snapshots on Reddit , where they became a huge hit with users .
Benjamin Savard , a digital media producer at liberty College in Vermont , was testing out a GoPro device in the octopus tank . California two - spot octopus grabbed the device and turned it on filmmaker , releasing a series of videos . researchers at liberty College have been investigating whether the octopus tank can open boxes more quickly by observing their peers .