'Just another day on an Australian beach': Giant octopus spotted on Byron Bay beach

Sydney resident Jarrah Brailey was enjoying an afternoon walk on Wategos Beach in Byron Bay when she spotted a giant octopus slide across the sand.

"It absolutely was crazy, I couldn't believe it," Ms Brailey told nine.com.au.

"It was really cool, it was changing colour depending on whether it was under water, or on the sand or the rocks to camouflage itself."

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She estimated each tentacle to be up to 30 centimetres long.

"It was absolutely massive."

Despite never having seen an octopus of that size, Ms Brailey said she didn't fully comprehend how rare the sighting was until her social media was flooded with comments from friends overseas.

"I didn't really think anything of it until I started getting all these messages about it, especially from my friends in New Zealand and the US," she said.

"This is just another day on the Australian beach."

Several species of octopus are found throughout NSW waters, from the shallow intertidal rock ledges to the deep offshore areas.

Wategos Beach is a sanctuary zone in Cape Byron Marine Park, meaning all animals and plants (including octopus) are protected in these waters.

Octopus are also protected in the habitat protection zones of Cape Byron Marine Park.