Darwin Awards - spearfishing for giant groupers

[bversteegh]

(September 2006, Florida) A fearsome mythical giant was felled by a humble slingshot. But a modern speargun vs. an underwater leviathan is another tale altogether, as a Florida man discovered.

Outlawed in 1990, hunting Goliath-sized groupers remains surprisingly popular. These fish can weigh hundreds of pounds, yet there are underwater hunters who choose to tether themselves to such muscular sea creatures. However unlikely a pursuit, the poaching of groupers by divers and snorkelers continues, in defiance of both the law and common sense.
Of this elite group, our Darwin Award winner distinguished himself yet further by disregarding one essential spearfishing precaution. By embarking on this hunt without a knife to cut himself loose, the "fit and experienced snorkeler" was guaranteeing that his next attack on a giant grouper would be his last.
Why anyone thinks it's a good idea to tether yourself to a fish twice your size, I don't know. Some time later, the body of the spearfisher was found pinned to the coral, 17 feet underwater. Three coils of line were wrapped around his wrist, and one very dead grouper was impaled at the other end of the line. In those final hours, the tables were turned, and the fish was given an opportunity to reflect on the experience of "catching a person."


This was one of the top 10 2006 Darwin awards - too bad about the grouper........

[gtjason2000]

good thing it was a snorkler and not quite the embarrasement to divers

[cgvmer]

Against the law because they have been hunted to the point of losing half the know spawning areas.

The grouper's win one

[thesmoothdome]

horrible on both accounts. I love seafood, but I suck at hunting.

[Krakenn]

Nothing wrong with Spearfishing. But you have to think that these guys that hunt and kill such a large animal that would taste like crap anyway need their heads read!

Kraks

[cgvmer]

Hate to say, but Grouper is good eating, and at 300lbs a lot of good eating!!!!

But I no longer consume it, because it is hurting from over fishing.

[Suther2136]

Just think...if we had more people like that...we'd have less people like that!

[Krakenn]

Hmm large groper are like rubber and they have worms in the backbone.

Um - Trust me


Kraks

[maui_diver21]

Wow. I don't understand the way some people think. Not only was this hunt stupid, but it was illegal and pointless. I feel sorry for him. (And by "him," I mean the grouper.)

[Garrobo]

First thing that I do when I leave the Keys causeway, entering Key Largo, is to go to the Hideout restaurant and get me a big-assed grouper sandwich. Then I am OK to go diving for the week.