June 16 (UPI) -- A 21-pound lobster estimated to be 110 years old was released back into the open sea by a New York seafood restaurant.
Butch Yamali, owner of Peter's Clam Bar in Hempstead, Long Island, said the lobster, named Lorenzo, has been living at the eatery for years.
"Lorenzo just kind of slipped through the cracks and ended up in our tank for years," Yamali told WPIX-TV.
He said freeing Lorenzo seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate National Lobster Day and Father's Day.
"Some of these lobsters just don't live that long, and this one did. So we figured what better way to celebrate Father's Day than by freeing Lorenzo. He became like a pet. People would come see him and take pictures with him, and he was just an object of the store," Yamali said.
Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and Nassau County Legislator John Ferretti teamed up with Peter's Clam Bar to "pardon" Lorenzo prior to his release at the Atlantic Beach Reef.
"He's now living his best life -- clawing his way to freedom and soaking up the salty breeze (instead of butter)," the restaurant said in a Facebook post.
Yamali said he was pleased to be able to give Lorenzo a second chance at life in the wild.
"He's gonna be missed, but I think it's better like this. If he passed away here, it wouldn't be a good thing, and I couldn't have the heart to sell him," he said.
