Twins Chris and David Schmidt's joke about buying and setting free a 22-pound lobster became reality Thursday.
The brothers saw the crustacean which is estimated to be 150 years old at the Chatham Pier Fish Market and decided to split the $210 cost, according to the Cape Cod Times.
They named the lobster Big Lobi in honor of Boston Red Sox player Big Papi David Ortiz. They took the lobster north of the pier to Ryder's Cove to set it free away from seals.
Although it is inexact, experts estimate a lobster's age at seven years for every pound.
However, their valiant effort was for naught.
Big Lobi was found dead just a couple days after his release.
"I think they had the best of intentions," Catherine Macort, executive assistant at the Center for Coastal Studies, told the Times.
He likely did not survive the shock of the new environment after spending three weeks in a tank. Where he was released is also much warmer than the cooler, deeper water where lobster's typically live.
However, Big Lobi will live on. His body was donated to an artist who creates prints from dead sea creatures.
About the Author
