danc Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 From CNN News A catch straight out of the deep blue sea A rare event is said to happen once in a blue moon. But a blue moon has nothing on a blue lobster. Canadian lobster boat captain Bobby Stoddard said he and his crew were hauling in their lobster traps one day in early May when one of the men called out, "Hey, we got a pretty one in this trap!" "I turned around and said, 'Holy smoke!' " said Stoddard, 51, of Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia. In the trap with three other, ordinary greenish-brown lobsters was a remarkably bright blue one, the first lobster of that hue Stoddard had seen in his 33 years of fishing for a living. "This is the only one that I've ever seen," he told CNN. "And my dad has been a lobsterman of about 55 years, and he caught one about 45 years ago, but hadn't seen one since." Bobby Stoddard, lobster hunter Stoddard captains one lobster boat, his father another, and his three brothers work with them. On a good day, they haul in about 3,000 of the crustaceans, he said. Multiply that times 33 seasons, and that's a lot of lobsters. But only one blue one. According to the University of Maine Lobster Institute, blue lobsters are a one-in-2-million phenomenon. A genetic variation causes the lobster to produce an excessive amount of a particular protein that gives it that azure aspect. Stoddard offered his find (a male, by the way) to a nearby ocean research institute, but "they didn't seem too interested," he said. His girlfriend pushed him to offer it for sale for on the classified-ad site Kajiji.com, he said. Having no idea what the market for a 1.5-pound blue lobster might be, he priced it at $200. "I wanted to put a number high enough on it so nobody would be interested in it," Stoddard confessed. However, he said he started to get some "weird" phone calls and e-mails scolding him for trying to sell such a rare creature, so he canceled the ad. "I'm kind of a shy guy," he said. "When things get controversial, I kind of go hide. This is what I do for a living; I catch lobsters and sell them. I'm just trying to do the right thing. I thought, 'I just don't need this hassle.' " For now, the cerulean crustacean is residing comfortably in a nice, cold holding tank at Stoddard's business, feeding on bits of fish and mollusks as normal. A massive aquarium is under construction near the CN Tower in Toronto, but Stoddard hasn't decided whether to offer his specimen for display there. "I don't know what the best thing is to do," he said. "It probably belongs back in the ocean, but I'd like for as many people as possible to see it." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopheraaron Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 Cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 A great story Dan, Thanks for putting it up. I won't show this to J. She's a lobster freak. I'd have to have a special aquarium built, the bugger would live well and she'd accompany the blue fool to my funeral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 Pretty neat color,heard about one a while back. I do think he should go back home,especially one that rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 Slap a #48 to the side of it Dan. That is very cool. Nice find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broker Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 pretty cool, never even seen one of thsoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBW Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 (edited) and now you know why so many bass baits are blue... the bass love them so much nobody else ever see's em! Edited June 14, 2012 by GBW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backbay Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Feed it till fall, then hook it up to a quick-strike rig! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 That's an awesome look creature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimsbylander Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hey Dan, you and that lobster are wearing the same colours!! Us Leafs fans are everywhere!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregoire Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 I'm wondering if the lobster meat id blue as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercman Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 A great story Dan, Thanks for putting it up. I won't show this to J. She's a lobster freak. I'd have to have a special aquarium built, the bugger would live well and she'd accompany the blue fool to my funeral. :rofl2: New keyboard in my future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb4me Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Go Leafs Go!!! That thing needs a TML painted on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregoire Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Go Leafs Go!!! That thing needs a TML painted on it That would definitely keep it safe, as no same maritimer would dare touch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregoire Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Go Leafs Go!!! That thing needs a TML painted on it If you gave him skates and a stick he would be more mobile than Phaneuf, or as a forward would probably play on the second line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 baha, the first thing I thought of was wow another leaf fan. lol Bring it to the ACC and put it in a huge tank. it can replace carleton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blarg Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 This is that uncommon, last time i was home they had a blue and a huge orange lobster in the tanks, the orange one almost looked cooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jigsnreels Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Go Leafs Go!!! That thing needs a TML painted on it But then it would never get to play in the lobster playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squid Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Excellent muskie bait!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosebunk Posted June 15, 2012 Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 So there has to be blue walleyes too.....? Right? Cool looking Lobster. Smurf style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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