Giant spiny lobster, wrested from island cave, gets new home at Monterey Bay Aquarium

Now starring in the Enchanted Forest section of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Splash Zone is an 11-pound lobster that was intended as table fare, but its captor (pictured) just didn't have the heart.

Tom Powers, an aquarium member, donated the monster bug he grabbed while freediving earlier this month (during open season) off the northwestern corner of Santa Rosa Island.

The California spiny lobster, estimated to be about 50 years old, was pulled from its cave, brought to the surface and transported to shore. But Powers decided it was too large and perhaps too old to eat, so he called the aquarium and asked if they wanted a new house guest.

"Needless to say, we're thrilled that a member of the aquarium felt bad about the prospects of eating such a remarkable animal and donated it so we could place it on exhibit," Ken Peterson, aquarium spokesman, said in an e-mail.

For more on Powers' story and some interesting information about California spiny lobsters, check out the aquarium's blog.

In the blog, Powers states: "I love to hunt and eat lobster. But giving this lobster to the Aquarium was by far the most gratifying experience I've ever had in all of my years hunting."

--Pete Thomas

Comments

[Aqua Allie]

I wonder how much it's tail weighs?

Like this story? Be sure to check out more unusal marine life pics and stories at my blog "Everything but the Tank" http://aquaallie.blogspot.com

[Mike T.]

I was fishing from a jetty at Will Rodgers State Beach one Thanksgiving day years ago, when a scuba diver returned to shore hauling a lobster about that size; said he found it in a submerged trash can about 200 yards offshore. Unfortunately, I don't think the diver had any intention of donating the beast to an aquarium.