A Scottish fisherman caught a rare blue lobster which has a one in two million chance of being caught.
A Scottish fisherman has made an extraordinary catch, landing a blue lobster with a one-in-two-million chance.
This rare crustacean’s genetic anomaly has captured the attention of the fishing community and nature enthusiasts alike.
Fisherman catches rare blue lobster
Ricky Greenhowe, 47, was fishing off the coast of Aberdeen when he caught the blue lobster. He has been fishing since he was 14 but had never encountered such a rare creature in his 30 years of experience.
The blue color is due to a genetic abnormality, causing the lobster to produce an unusually high amount of a specific protein. This makes the lobster stand out from the typical dark brown or grey lobsters most fishermen encounter.
Ricky is considering returning a lobster to the sea.
Despite the lobster’s rarity, Greenhowe is considering returning it to the sea. He plans to contact Macduff Aquarium to see if they are interested in keeping it. If not, he intends to let it go.
“It’s not about the money—it should continue its life,” Greenhowe told BBC Scotland. He believes it would be a shame to cook or sell such a rare creature. A lobster of its size, around 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs), would typically be worth about £25.
Lobster rarity and symbolism
Blue lobsters are incredibly rare, with the odds of catching one being one in two million. Fishermen who catch them often consider them a sign of good luck and usually release them back into the sea.
Other rare lobster finds
Greenhowe’s blue lobster is not the first rare catch in recent years. In April, fisherman Tom Lambourn caught a small blue lobster off the coast of Cornwall. Lambourn released the lobster back into the sea after photographing it.
In 2017, a fisherman in Wales caught an orange lobster, which was taken to Angelsey Sea Zoo. Even rarer, two fishermen in Dorset discovered an albino or “crystal” lobster in 2011, with odds estimated at one in 100 million.
While blue lobsters are rare and valuable, many fishermen prefer to release them, honoring the rarity and beauty of these creatures. Ricky Greenhowe’s decision to potentially return the lobster to the sea reflects a respect for nature and the preservation of this extraordinary find.