An angler fishing off Costa Rica may have suffered the worst indigestion of all time when he found out the 32-pound barracuda he had just eaten might have been a record-breaking fish.
Dennis Tilden caught the fish in a Boston Whaler tournament hosted by the Crocodile Bay Resort in the southern Pacific side of Costa Rica. Thinking the best fish is the freshest fish, he had it made into ceviche right away, according to the resort’s fish report blog.
While Tilden waited for a chef to prepare his catch, the captain of his boat checked into the International Game Fish Association’s record book to find the barracuda record, which was 28 pounds. Tilden’s may have easily beaten that record by several pounds, that is, if it could only be verified.
While barracuda makes for a tasty meal, many anglers are hesitant to eat it, due to the possibility of ciguatera, a dangerous foodborne illness in the Atlantic variety. Tilden may have shed a few tears into his ceviche, but he probably had himself a delicious meal. He even ended up winning day two of the tournament with a 350-pound marlin.
Photo courtesy: Crocodile Bay Resort
