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Second monster crab is caught

11:17am Thursday 3rd July 2008

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A GIANT crab with a shell 12in wide was caught by a diver off Portland.

The crustacean, weighing 17lb and with a claw span of 9in, was found by diver Paul Worsley and is thought to be the largest edible crab captured in British waters so far.

It was caught on the wreck site of the warship the Empress of India, which was sunk off Portland as a gunnery target in 1913.

Mr Worsley, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, found the creature while on a diving trip from Lyme Regis. Douglas Lanfear, who runs the dive boat Blue Turtle, said he was amazed at the size of the crab.

He said: "It was truly a monster. It was the biggest crab I have ever seen in all my years.

"There were fishermen who have been working here for 30 years and they said they hadn't seen anything like it. The claws were absolutely huge - as big as my hands - and if you got your finger caught, it would take it off."

He added: "It was caught 13 miles off shore. I don't know why it was so big, but probably just because of age.

"It had managed to escape the fishermen somehow and reach this great size.

"It was big enough to feed 10 people."

In May, a 36in long lobster with claws 8in long and 4in wide was caught by another diver from Mr Lanfear's boat.

It is the second giant crab to be found off Portland in a week. Diver Paul Martin found one at Balaclava Bay, as reported in the Dorset Echo on Saturday.


Your Say YourDorset Echo

Mike, Portland says...
12:47pm Thu 3 Jul 08

Why can't they leave the poor things alone its nothing short of criminal to disturb these poor creatures. I would like to chuck these divers out of their homes & see how they like it. Its a shame it didn't bite him where it hurts.

Wykeite, Weymouth says...
12:50pm Thu 3 Jul 08

Where's the picture?

Albo, Wyke Regis says...
1:36pm Thu 3 Jul 08

Mike: Poor things?

When these bullet-proof, man-eating curs - surely the Godzilla-like spawn of nuclear submarine activity in the area - come marching up the beach and break both your legs in their rock-hard pincers of DEATH, don't come running to me.

Mike, Portland says...
2:37pm Thu 3 Jul 08

Albo wrote:
Mike: Poor things? When these bullet-proof, man-eating curs - surely the Godzilla-like spawn of nuclear submarine activity in the area - come marching up the beach and break both your legs in their rock-hard pincers of DEATH, don't come running to me.
Oh dear Albo sounds to me as if you better get to bed early & stop watching all those horror movies, but just to be on the safe side you better check under the bed.

free wessex, dorset says...
3:55pm Thu 3 Jul 08

Oh dear all these divers catching crabs!

The diver from Buckinghamshire grow up! I having lived by the Dorset coast all my life, this is what you find so what? it's the sea it is where they live so leave them alone and let some more grow to that size, clearly it is the Echo silly season in full flow!

nige, dorchester says...
4:18pm Thu 3 Jul 08

Rubbish.... its the survival of the fittest and in this case Mr Crab lost..... now the most important question is.... What does it taste like? Yum Yum

Fabian, Weymouth says...
8:52pm Thu 3 Jul 08

Interesting point nige; surely a crab of this size will not taste as good, or are they like wine?

I was always told to avoid eating crab if there is a 'y' in the month because they aren't as nice...Jul'y'...oops
!

blank, says...
10:53pm Thu 3 Jul 08

chanticleer , 11:41pm Fri 16 May 08 wrote:
I do recall the Arish Mell calculations and have to say that nowadays they make for rather alarming reading. Examination of the Exercise MERMAID scientific report, which investigated the discharge to sea of radioactive effluent from Winfrith via the Arish Mell outfall pipes, reveals that the safe levels for permitted discharge were based on two main factors: experience gained from similar discharges at Windscale (aka Sellafield), and a survey of the habits of Dorset residents (which Harwell seem to have somehow 'lost'. The Exercise MERMAID report mentions that levels of radioactive discharge to Weymouth Bay should be of a scale that: ‘anyone may safely spend 100 hours a year at the low water mark on a beach’ . The report omits to mention mention what dangers might be faced by those whose employment required them to spend longer periods on the foreshore!
With regard to local fish stock, the Harwell report states: ‘These also assume major importance because of their low mobility and other characteristics resulting in their concentrating activity more effectively than plaice, the most important fish off Windscale. In the calculations made for the safe permissible discharge it is assumed that fish in Dorset will take up a proportion of the discharge ten times greater than at Windscale’.

So even though local crabs might not actually glow, long term consumption of lobsters, especially those caught from near the Lulworth Banks, may indeed have had some adverse health effect on local residents.

Anyone know which way the current flows from Lulworth?

genghis, portland says...
12:30pm Fri 4 Jul 08

At least the first crab reported on last week is now enjoying life at the Sealife Centre. Or is it true what I heard, that the idiot that dragged it out of the sea is now using it as a desk ornament?

Tru Belle, purbeck says...
9:53pm Fri 4 Jul 08

Isn't it time we despatched these beastly divers over to Sea World- They would make good sport. We would be able to poke and prod them and photograph them and have their mug shots in the quality press.
Giant crabs , you will be safe soon, carry on growing huge , but we will have fun with the divers!!

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