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21-Pound Lobster Caught in Cape Cod

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By Kelli Bender Jul 18th 2012

Lobsters are having a big year. Not only are they taking over the beaches of Maine, they are getting bigger too. According to WBZ-TV, a 21-pound lobster was caught off Nauset Beach in Orleans, Mass. this week.

The colossal crustacean ended up at Captain Elmer's Seafood Market, where manager Elise Costa is happy to show it off. Costa told WBZ-TV that the lobster is as long as her arm span and as big as her torso. The lobster's pinchers sport claws about a foot long.

The prize catch will continue to be on display at the market for several days, and then will be sold or raffled off for charity. Captain Elmer's doesn't plan on cooking the lobster, though the hefty animal would produce about five pounds of meat.

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Costa said that a 27-pound lobster was caught in Maine recently, but that big catches are declining due to regulations that limit the size of lobsters that can be caught legally. Orleans is one of the few beach communities left without a max gauge in place.

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