A Maine fisherman caught a massive lobster that was holding up to 80,000 eggs on its belly. But instead of cashing in the high-priced crustacean, he gave her a “snack” and tossed her back into the ocean.
Jacob Knowles posted a video of the impressive creature on TikTok. He estimated it weighed around seven pounds, which puts the average adult lobster to shame. Most only grow to be 1.5 to 2 pounds. However, there are some in the ocean rumored to be as large as 40 pounds. Those beasts evade traps because they’re too large to fit, though. So people rarely see them.
Knowles is a career lobster fisher, which means he would normally appreciate pulling in a seven-pounder. But he’s also a conservationist who has gandered 1.4 million followers thanks to his respect for nature. So when he noticed that the animal was carrying tens of thousands of eggs, he knew she needed to live.
“Got a huge egger,” she says in the clip. “[That’s] about as big as we get for female eggers. Much bigger than this, and they can’t fit in the trap. It’s estimated there are roughly 10,000 eggs per pound. Seven pounds, 70,000 to 80,000 eggs.”
As the video ends, Knowles places a fish n her claw and then throws her back into the water.
“I really appreciate your respect for all the sea life,” a follower commented. “I know it’s your passion and I’m happy to learn from your videos. Education is important to all.”
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
@jacob__knowles Replying to @geminisong #maine #lobster #lobsterfishing #fy #fyp #ocean #lobstertok #207 #mainecheck #gulfofmaine #seacreatures #didyouknow #interesting #sealife #oceans #oceanlife #sustainable ♬ original sound – Jacob Knowles