To encounter marine life efficiently during blackwater dives in Anilao, it is essential to plan carefully while consulting tidal charts and the lunar phase. I selected several days around the February new moon when high tide would occur during the dive. The strategy proved successful. Just after 8:00 p.m., I was fortunate enough to spot a female blanket octopus, with a body length of about 15 cm, in the distance. While trying not to consume too much air or disturb the surface as much as possible, I suppressed my surging excitement and approached the blanket octopus, which raised one of its arms in a defensive display and moved across the surface at incredible speed. Shooting while swimming alongside it was challenging, but I managed to capture the texture of its skin, along with the shimmering light and shadows of the blanket octopus as they flickered and reflected on the water’s surface.