Did you know that you could run across a live octopus on a beach?
Octolab.tv indicates that they can live out of water for a few minutes and typically this allows them to move from one tidal pool to another during low tide or look for food and it describes how they can do this:
"Being aquatic, octopuses rely on gills to extract oxygen from the water. Octopuses have three hearts. Two of these organs are used to pump blood specifically to the gills in order to remain oxygenated. In case you were curious, the other heart circulates the blood to the rest of the octopus’ body.
Unlike other marine creatures, such as fish, which rely entirely on gills for oxygen transfer, an octopus has an advantage. They can also absorb oxygen from the water through their skin. This is accomplished through a process known as passive diffusion.
When an octopus is at rest, over 40 percent of its oxygen requirements can be met by this form of gas exchange between its skin and the surrounding water. When it is swimming or engaged in other activity, the oxygen absorbed through the skin drops to less than 30 percent.
The lowest that oxygen absorption through the skin gets is immediately after an octopus eats. Even if motionless, during digestion, the oxygen absorption drops to the single digits. Sometimes as low as 3 percent"National Geographic reported an interesting story where, Inky, an Octopus at the National Aquarium, in New Zealand escaped through a small opening, slinked across the museum floor at night and down a drainpipe and back to the ocean.
Here is a video from the BBC:
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