Neil McDonnell and six of his friends went on a deep-sea fishing trip some five miles off of Lundy Island in Dorset. Little did Neil know that when he cast his baited hook into the ocean that day, he’d be a trailblazer. McDonnell is the first man to reel in an almaco jack in the UK, according to the British Records Fish Committee. The feat is unusual because the almaco jack is a tropical fish, normally preferring the waters off the coast of places like Florida and Hawaii.
While McDonnell was the first, he likely won’t be the last to snag an almaco jack. Unlike other fish caught in the UK, the almaco jack is actually an edible fish rather than a monster or robot. Researchers say the almaco jack is ending up in England thanks to traveling along the Gulf Stream, and staying in Bristol Channel thanks to warmer waters due to global warming.
Tags: Neil McDonnell, almaco jack, rare fish, global warming, Lundy Island, Dorset, England, tropical fish caught in Britain, British Records Fish Committee