Local finds an 8-legged surprise in a shell on Isle of Palms

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCIV) — Interacting with an octopus is something normally reserved for ocean divers, but one local had a once in a lifetime experience on the Isle of Palms last week.

Lori McGee said she's lived in the area for more than a decade. Last week, while walking in shin-deep water, she picked up a beautiful whelk shell, making sure to check that a crab wasn't residing in it.

Instead of a crab, she found an octopus, which soon started crawling out and onto McGee's arm.

"She was so beautiful. I took a quick video and quickly got her back to the ocean," McGee said as she relayed her experience in an Instagram post.

McGee said the experience felt fortuitous as she had just watched the Netflix documentary "My Octopus Teacher."