Man finds giant sunfish while sailing on Laguna Beach
A man searching for dolphins at a California beach was amazed when he paddled close to a giant fish that looked as if “it had been bitten in half”.
Rich German, 52, caught a sunfish while sailing with his friend Matt Wheaton on December 2 at Laguna Beach.
“It looked like a mutilated alien shark,” German told USA TODAY.
The sunfish is one of the heaviest bony fish in the world and can weigh up to 2.5 tons, according to National Geographic. They are shaped like bullets and are so named because they are often seen in the sun near the surface of the water.
German said he’s seen dozens of them when boarding empty ships over the past 12 years, but nothing of that size or near shore.
“We knew what it was right away,” he said. “They’re usually miles away from the coast and this one is huge.”
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Once home, he discovered the largest sunfish on record was 8 feet and 11 inches and realized he might have seen the largest. German said Wheaton’s board was 14 feet long and estimated the fish was between 9 and 10 feet long.
He said the sunfish gained international attention after his post on Instagram and hopes it will spread awareness.
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“The more people understand the ocean and what’s in it, the more they can do to protect it.”
Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.