An Octopus Was Riding a Shark and It’s All on Video
out of left field: something that is very surprising or unexpected
In December 2023, scientists in New Zealand saw a mako shark near Kawau Island. It had a strange orange shape on its head. Could it be a buoy or maybe some kind of injury? They launched a drone and put a camera in the water to get a better look.
What they saw came out of left field. An octopus was sitting on the shark’s head!
This was very strange. Octopuses usually live near the bottom of the sea. Mako sharks stay near the surface. The scientists only watched for ten minutes before moving on, so no one knows what happened next.
Marine scientist Rochelle Constantine reported the unforgettable sight of the octopus riding the shark. She said, “The sharktopus encounter is a reminder of the wonders of the ocean.”
Sample sentences
The movie seemed normal at first, but the ending came completely out of left field. I didn’t expect it at all.
It was a normal job interview at first, and then out of left field, he asked me if I was planning to have children.
We were planning our wedding for months, and then out of left field, she said she doesn’t really believe in the concept of marriage.
Origin
This expression comes from the sport of baseball. If a ball comes from left field, it can surprise players who are not looking that way. Over time, people started using the phrase for anything surprising or strange.
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