THIS is the horrific moment an aggressive octopus latches onto a snorkeler and nearly strangles him after its home was disturbed.

Viral footage showed the eight-limbed creature in a nightmare scenario with a terrified diver off the coast of far eastern Russia.

The diver had used a pole to poke the octopus’s burrow, before the sea creature hit back by shooting a cloud of ink and latching onto the diver’s hands.

The incident – which occurred near Primorsky Krai, Russia, earlier this month – then escalated as the snorkeler realised he could not detach from the tough marine mollusc.

He struggled to pull the octopus off, which only made the sea animal tighten its grip and go for the man’s neck.

Its blinding ink continued to spread, further confusing the dumfounded diver.

Panicking, the frightened man then tried to rip the octopus off himself, which had stuck on using its extremely strong suction cups.

When the diver realised he wasn’t getting anywhere with just his strength, he started to swim upwards for air.

After quickly swimming upwards and trying to pull the animal off, the diver eventually reached the sea surface, where he gasped desperately for air.

But even then, the creature was latched on, using its whole body to cover the mans upper torso and lower half of his face.

According to local media, he was able to release the octopus from his body several minutes later.

It is unclear however, whether the diver sustained any serious injuries.

The octopus in the video is believed to be a common octopus, which is not known to be dangerous s to humans.

They can grow up to 1.3 metres in length, and can weigh between 6.6 to 22 lbs, according to National Geographic.

The mollusc does classify as poisonous, but its venom is not lethal.

The dramatic video received over 3 million views on Instagram.

But many social media fans commented that the diver had provoked the attack, and deserved what happened to him.

One user said: “Good lesson taught, let’s leave them in peace.”

Another said: “Respect the ocean, dude. Also, it seems that the diver p****d off the cameraperson too.

“He just shot the whole thing without helping him.”

The common octopus, also referred to as the octopus vulgaris, is easily identifiable and known for its ability to camouflage itself to match colours of its surroundings.

It is also a fast swimmer and can squeeze itself into tiny cracks or shapes.

Earlier this year, an octopus preyed upon an Italian model, dragging him underwater and nearly trapping him there.

Eerie footage showed ripped Milan-based influencer Federico Cola walking around the crystal clear waters in the Seychelles before he was suddenly pounced upon by the octopus.