A photographer has captured stunning images of a curled octopus swimming in the Firth of the Forth in front of the iconic Forth Road Bridge.
Ditte Solgaard Dunn discovered the inquisitive sea creature while out for an evening dip with her children and their friend in South Queensferry before it attempted to steal her son’s shoe.
Incredible pictures show the vibrant red octopus washed up on the stony shore before frolicking in the shallows in front of the spectacular Forth Road Bridge at sunset after being helped back into water.
Ditte later posted her images and video on Facebook, writing: “Wow! An evening swim was made hugely exciting when my son discovered an octopus!”
The post has since attracted thousands of comments, with users and friends fascinated by the alien-like eight-limbed mollusc.
She said: “The kids love exploring the coastline for sea creatures and we often spot crabs, jellyfish and fish, but this is the first time we’ve seen an octopus.
“Everyone was extremely excited when we spotted the octopus.
“He was sitting at the edge of the water, and for a while we weren’t sure if he was dead or alive, but then we saw his arms moving, which was so exciting.
“For a while we just watched him floating about the water’s edge. At one point he swam a metre or two along the coast and then came back to sit at the edge.
“After a while we decided to try to help him into deeper waters so my son took off his swim shoe and used it to guide him further out.
“The octopus attached itself to his shoe and he was able to gently pull it out. When we left we could still see him bopping about in the water.”
Nine species of octopus can be found in UK waters, with some being caught as far north as the Isle of Skye.
Warming sea temperatures have dragged more north, though generally they are rarely spotted in shallower waters beyond the English channel.
