My Octopus Teacher poster

My Octopus Teacher

7.9(1,109)20201h 25m3

After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.

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Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
—
Language
English
  • diving
  • octopus
  • intelligence
  • atlantic ocean
  • human animal relationship
  • south africa
  • based on true story
  • underwater
  • shark
  • western cape
  • nature documentary
  • marine life

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Produced in

South Africa, United Kingdom

Where to watch

Availability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.

Gallery

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Videos

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • Digital / OTT7 Sept 2020
  • BrazilBR

    • Digital / OTTL7 Sept 2020
  • FranceFR

    • Digital / OTTU7 Sept 2020
  • GermanyDE

    • Theatrical04 Sept 2020
  • ItalyIT

    • TheatricalT4 Sept 2020
  • JapanJP

    • Digital / OTTPG127 Sept 2020
  • NetherlandsNL

    • Digital / OTT9Netflix7 Sept 2020
  • PolandPL

    • Premiere7Docs Against Gravity4 Sept 2020
  • SingaporeSG

    • Digital / OTTGNetflix7 Sept 2020

Frequently asked questions

My Octopus Teacher was released on 4 September 2020.

Audience reviews

3
  • S

    Skarfrael

    12/29/2021

    10/10

    Not just a documentary (9 January 2021) Why I watched it? Because I love octopuses and the sea. Why I gave it a 10? Because it was something more than just a documentary. It was a personal experience. It got evident from the start. Great captures and the personal storytelling of Foster along with accurate and calming music did it: I immediately relaxed and put myself in his shoes. The rest was history. Amazing …

  • C

    candicetop

    1/4/2026

    9/10

    a profoundly moving, visually stunning documentary that elevates a simple premise into a transformative emotional experience. It follows South African filmmaker Craig Foster as he returns daily to a cold-water kelp forest near Cape Town, slowly forming an intimate, almost meditative bond with a wild octopus he encounters there. The film’s greatest strength is how it intertwines awe-inspiring natural observation with …

  • C

    CinemaSerf

    7/24/2026

    7/10

    I reckon this could be my favourite natural history feature, as despite a slight element of sentimentality, it's really quite fascinating. It all follows the relationship between accomplished diver and photographer Craig Foster and an octopus. He is swimming when he encounters this young creature hiding in it's den. Approaching it, gingerly, he is surprised when it reaches out a tentacle (he calls them arms) and begi…

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