Two fishermen from Massachusetts initially thought they had hooked a shark, but instead reeled in a massive Atlantic blue marlin weighing 1,260 pounds (approx. 571 kilograms). This fish is believed to be the largest Atlantic blue marlin ever caught off the U.S. East Coast.
Sea-news.az reports citing the New York Post, that experienced Massachusetts fisherman and charter boat captain Damon Sacco spotted a massive fin on the water’s surface after hours of fishing with his client. Sacco initially thought it was a giant shark, noting that the creature looked far too big to be a marlin.
Measuring over 11 feet (approx. 3.4 meters) in length, the marlin put up a fierce fight, battling Sacco and angler Walter Chapman via rod and reel for roughly three hours. Sacco described it as the largest fish he has ever encountered in his career.
The giant marlin caused minor damage to the boat’s transom before the vessel was towed back to shore, where dozens of eager onlookers awaited them at the dock.
According to records kept by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), this massive catch is just 142 pounds short of the all-tackle world record for an Atlantic blue marlin, which was caught off the coast of Brazil in 1992.
The fish’s head was sent to a laboratory at the University of Massachusetts to determine its exact age, with experts estimating it to be between 25 and 30 years old.
