The Seattle Aquarium and the great octopus escape (VIDEO)

It was another average day at the Seattle Aquarium. Fish of all colour were swimming along to the merry sounds of passers-by and resident otters supped on the last remains of their lunch.

But something ominous was lurking inside the dark halls of the marine museum.

The day was busy yet calm in the octopus sanctuary, until all of a sudden, one of the ocean’s scariest looking molluscs approached the rim of a glass cylinder and plotted its escape.

With the reach of one slippery and menacing tentacle, the creature crept over the edge of the glass.

Children screamed. The frightened wails of babies were heard.

A second long wet arm grasped the top of the container, pulling the creature up closer to the brink of freedom. And then a third appeared.

The three limbs dangled dangerously down the side of the tank, mere inches away from grazing the tear-stained cheeks of the children below.

Amidst the terror-filled room, a savour approached. Donned in a blue cape (or jacket, whatever), the hero climbed a ladder to perilous heights and fought the animal with her bare hands.

Taking the cold, sticky tentacles into her palms, the woman risked her own limbs to save the onlookers below.

The children were silent as the battle continued on. The eight-legged monster resisted the fight, holding its ground.

At long last, the creature’s final arm was pushed back into its tank. Sighs of relief were bellowed by the growing audience as the ocean beast slid helplessly back down into the water.

The octopus-wrangler-by-night, aquarium-employee-by-day, shrugged modestly at her feat and mysteriously disappeared, leaving the families in wonder.

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This video of a resident octopus exploring the boundaries of its habit was taken at the Seattle Aquarium in March 2015.