How cute is this? Scientists recently spotted a dumbo octopus in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii! It was a rare, and adorable, sight. 

Scientists on board a research ship sent a vehicle with a camera down into the ocean and waited to see what would swim by. They spotted the dumbo octopus at a depth of about 5,500 feet (1,700 meters), where the water is cold, dark, and not very crowded. 

There are about 300 species of octopus and about 17 species of dumbo octopus. Dumbo octopuses push themselves through the water with their fins, which look like floppy ears. They get their name from Dumbo, the classic Disney movie about an elephant with giant ears. Most dumbo octopuses are less than one foot (30 centimeters) long, which is smaller than many other octopus species. 

Scientists can’t study dumbo octopuses as much as they can study many other animals. Dumbo octopuses live in deeper water than other octopus species—as far as 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) below the surface. Not many animals can survive at this depth, which is so far down that sunlight can’t reach it. Humans can’t dive that deep, either. That’s why dumbo octopuses are a bit of a mystery. 

“I’m so glad we got to see this beautiful creature,” one scientist said. “I’ve never seen one before.”

Check out the video of the octopus!