Blue lobster headed for National Aquarium

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OCEAN CITY, Md., June 19 (UPI) -- The captain of a Maryland fishing boat that caught a rare blue lobster said he decided to donate the unusual crustacean to the National Aquarium in Washington.

Capt. John Gourley of The Potluck said the lobster, which was among the thousands of crustaceans his boat caught last week off the coast of Ocean City, was actually the second blue lobster he has caught after encountering another of the rare beasts nine years ago, The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday.

He said the blue lobster, which experts say describes about 1 in 2 million lobsters, would have fetched him about $10 at the market, but he heard the National Aquarium was seeking a blue lobster for display.

"I catch lobsters and sell them. That's how I make my money," he said. "If I was to sell it on the market, I would get about 10 bucks. That's a small price to pay for everyone to get the chance to see it."