Two backpackers have risked their lives by ‘playing’ with one of the most venomous creatures in the ocean that could have ended their lives in just minutes.

In a video uploaded to a Facebook group for backpackers, two men, from the UK and Ireland, are seen dangling a live blue-ringed octopus and resting the creature on their bare skin.

In the post, one of the men joked about how fishing in Australia is “different” and that they didn’t realise they had caught one of the “most dangerous animals in the world”.

“Been an interesting two day introduction to fishing ... caught a blue-ringed octopus, one of the most dangerous animals in the world and didn’t even realise,” one of the men posted.

View photos The blue-ringed octopus on one of the men's arms (left) and after the two men caught it (right). Source: Facebook/Ross Saunders More

While the men in the video thought the stunt was hilarious, others in the group were not impressed.

“Wow, this guy could have died so easily,” one person responded to the video.

“Enough venom to kill 26 people in minutes, a painless bite until breathing problems set in later,” another person added.

Most people were amazed, calling the move “dumb” and pointing out how “lucky” they were to be alive.

“Can’t believe he put that on his arm. If it bites you, it paralysis you and you stop breathing within minutes,” a Facebook user said.

“I’ve poured concrete that is less thick than you,” an unimpressed person wrote.

View photos The two men claim they were unaware of how deadly a blue-ringed octopus can be. Source: Facebook/Ross Saunders More

The Australian Museum confirmed that if the octopus had bitten them, they could have been dead in minutes.

“Because of the small size of the injecting apparatus, the 'bite' may not be felt,” its website states.

“However within minutes symptoms include numbness of the lips and tongue, difficulty in breathing, followed by complete paralysis of the breathing muscles.

“Victims appear to lose consciousness as they cannot respond to their name being called.”

It’s not the first time tourists have made the mistake of ‘playing’ with a blue-ringed octopus.

One traveller had a horrifyingly close call with the creature in a video uploaded to Reddit in January.

The unwitting tourist cradled the deadly sea creature in their hand before vigorously shaking it off.

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