The massive blue marlin was disqualified because it had been bitten by a shark. Image: YouTube/Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament
In a scene reminiscent of Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea, the crew of the offshore fishing boat Sensation hauled in a massive blue marlin sure to score them wealth and esteem, only to have their hopes dashed when tournament officials discovered that their 619.4-lb catch had been mutilated in two areas, likely as a result of shark bites.
Despite surpassing the next closest blue marlin by 134.9 pounds, those bites cost the crew a staggering $3.5 million, as they would have won first prize and a separate bonus prize for securing the first blue marlin over 500 pounds in Morehead City, North Carolina’s Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.
What Happened?
In its 65th year, “the Big Rock,” as it is…
