A lobster fisherman has suffered a close encounter with a giant seagull.
The bird menace even wanted some of Dan Gilbert’s catch.
He was on his 21-foot-long boat when the gull arrived to investigate.
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The experienced skipper, who runs a seafood business, came eye-to-eye with it.
It used its giant beak to tap on the wheelhouse window just inches from his face.
He was off the Lizard peninsula in southern Cornwall at the time.
“I was fishing for lobster, and it looked like the gull had ordered room service, so I chopped up some wrasse and fed it that,” Dan told What’s The Jam.
Although Dan wasn’t too concerned about the bird, they can be vicious.
The great black-backed gull is the largest member of the gull family.
It is a very aggressive hunter and scavenger.
But Dan, who has outlets in Porthleven and St Ives, is more concerned about another creature he’s seeing more of.
He added: “Octopus populations are wreaking havoc on our lobster grounds, targeting undersized lobsters, the future of our fishery.
“These young lobsters, usually returned to the sea to grow and breed, are being wiped out before they get the chance.
“This isn’t just a setback – it’s a threat to the long-term sustainability of lobster fishing in Cornwall.”
After Dan posted a video of his new mate to Facebook yesterday (25 June), one local suggested the perfect solution.
Ian Dempsey said, “Feed the seagull the octopus.”
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