Tuna ‘worth £1,800,000’ washes up on beach in Scotland
This massive tuna fish that washed up on a beach in Scotland could be worth a lot of money.
The catch – which is 8ft (2.4metres) long and weighs 420lbs (190kg) – may sell for a whopping £1.8million if it fetches a similar amount to the previous tuna that have gone on the market.
Surfers discovered the Atlantic bluefin on Scotstown beach in St Fergus near Peterhead on Saturday.
The giant fish are usually found in the western and eastern Atlantic as well as the Mediterranean and their prized meat is used to make sushi.
It is suspected the low water temperature may have caused the tuna to die, as the fish are unable to regulate their body temperature.
Dog walker Alex Hay, from Peterhead, was on the beach when the two surfers approached him.
He said: ‘They came up and spoke to me and said there was a massive tuna not far up the beach.
‘I didn’t really believe them though. I thought it might be a dolphin or something like that, but as I got closer I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
‘I’ve never seen a fish that big before.
‘It was still fresh so it obviously got washed up with the last tide, but I’m not sure if it got stuck when it came in too close or what happened.’
Crowds gathered on the beach wanting to get a closer look at the giant tuna.
Chris Rickard – who said it only had a small injury to its tail – added: ‘Amazing to see such an impressive animal up close.’
A year ago a Japanese sushi boss forked out nearly £2.5million for a bluefin tuna which weighed 613lb (278kg) at an auction in Tokyo.
Other giant tunas have been found on Scottish beaches in recent months.
A 6.5ft (1.98metres) long one was found washed up on Bea Sand on the Orkney island of Sanday – which had been battered by 75mph Storm Deirdre last December.
Meanwhile, in October 2018, a 6ft (1.82metres) Bluefin tuna was found washed up at a beach in Culross, Fife.
It comes after a 600lb (272kg) – which was the same length – was caught by three anglers off the coast of Cork, Ireland last September.
Atlantic Bluefin tuna can weigh up to 1,500lb (680kg) and are capable of swimming at speeds of 40mph.