A Big Fish

Landing A Bluefin in P.E.I.

I was going through some files a few days ago and found this shot I took while on vacation in P.E.I. I was eating lunch at a little wharf-side seafood restaurant near Cabot Park when I heard the cook in the back say "There's a big one coming in!" When the waitress delivered my mussels, she said that a big bluefin tuna was coming into the harbour and that it would be a pretty interesting thing to see. If I was interested.

I was.

Landing large bluefin tuna doesn't happen that much anymore, especially on P.E.I., and a crowd had already gathered on the wharf by the time I got there. The tuna went up on a huge hook, got weighed (over 700 pounds) and then was lowered onto the wharf.

I forgot that tuna bleed.

I took a bunch of photos.

Fifteen minutes had passed and the tuna was already sold for sushi to Japan, and the dockhands were preparing to put it on ice.

And I went back to my mussels.

It was a really interesting day... one of those days when you're reminded of the Man vs. Nature struggle and how it can be sad and profound, but delicious.