California Fisherman Catches Giant Lobster, Befriends It, Releases It Back To The Ocean

When a California fisherman managed to catch a giant lobster after he went fishing off the coast of the Channel Islands, the first thing he had in mind was the sumptuous dinner that awaited him. Forrest Galante, as the fisherman has been identified by ABC News, took the giant 12-pound lobster home and thought the animal would die overnight. However, when he checked on it the next morning, the giant lobster was alive and well. Galante, upon seeing the animal alive, had a sudden change of heart, and decided that instead of ending up on his dinner plate for a one-time meal, the lobster deserved another chance at life.

“There was just no way I could kill it for a one time meal so I rushed him to the sea center where they marveled at the size of him, quickly accepted him and put him into the tank,” Galante said.

Galante named the giant lobster Albert Girther and later took him to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, according to KEYT News. Thanks to its size, the lobster attracted considerable attention from visitors. According to Tyler Haven, the aquarist at the Sea Center, the giant lobster was at least two or three times larger than the other lobsters that they had with them.

“It was much larger, two to three times bigger than our other lobsters and it was just absolutely fascinating for people to see such a large animal,” Tyler told local TV stations.

It was not just the people who were impressed by the giant lobster’s size. Other lobsters in the tank with him flocked near to him and swam underneath and below him because they felt secure near him. Later, after an evaluation by the officials at Sea Center, it was decided that a giant lobster the size of Albert Girther was best left back in the ocean. According to Tyler, Albert was still in his prime and is a fertile animal that can not only create many offsprings, but also offer them decent protection from predators.

“The best course of action is to leave that animal there. You can come back year after year and have the best chance of that population remaining stable,” Haven said.

A few weeks into his stay at the Sea Center, the giant lobster was handed back to Galante by the officials. He took Albert and released him back in the ocean at an undisclosed marine sanctuary in the Channel Islands.

The giant lobster was believed to be nearly 70-years-old at the time of its capture. Scientists believe that lobsters could live to be 100-years-old.

What would you do if you got hold of a giant lobster? Would you release it back to the ocean?

[Image Via ABC News]