Two British tourists catch a giant grouper weighing over 270kg in Australia.
Ed Hirst, 25, and Harry Thomas, 27, caught the “monster” fish in Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia, after a 30-minute tug-of-war.
The two young men had to use ropes to pull the fish ashore. The Goliath grouper is a protected species in Queensland, so the fish was quickly released after a photo was taken during the catch.
Ed told The Sun: “It was so big that I honestly thought it was a saltwater crocodile. But then this huge tail splashed out of the water, and we realized it was a giant grouper. We were thrilled; it was quite a spectacular catch.”
“I’ve fished back home, but this was on a whole different level; it was a fantastic experience. There were quite a few crowds gathered to watch us bring it in, and they cheered and clapped.”
This duo couldn’t weigh the fish, but after showing some photos to people at a local fishing shop, the catch was featured in a local newspaper in Cairns and estimated to weigh over 270kg.
The two young men take a photo with the giant grouper before releasing it.
The Goliath grouper, also known as the Queensland grouper, typically inhabits shallow tropical waters at depths of 15 – 50 meters. Generally, Goliath groupers can grow up to 2.5 meters long and weigh around 360kg.
Goliath groupers feed on crustaceans, fish, octopuses, and juvenile sea turtles. They are also known to prey on sharks and barracudas. They have been observed attacking divers and have been seen attacking lemon sharks as well.
