Fisherman catches rare lobster twice in two weeks
A fisherman has caught a rare blue lobster twice in a fortnight.
Marc Newton, 35, hauled in the brightly-coloured crustaceans from the English Channel just 12 days apart.
The fourth-generation fisherman, from Beer, Devon, caught the electric blue lobsters despite extreme odds, which some marine biologists have estimated are about two million to one.
The rare colour is caused by a genetic mutation, which prompts the over-production of a certain protein.
Mr Newton released the lobsters back into the waters on both occasions.
The family fishing boat, Bess, is skippered by his father Jim, who has been fishing since he could walk.
Mr Newton said: 'Our family has been supplying fresh local fish from our shop on Beer beach for the last 45 years.
'We're now the fourth generation carrying on this tradition.'
He wrote in a social media post: 'Here he is again. On the left, we caught what looks like the same rare blue lobster as the other day.
'What do you think? Same or a different one?'
Blue lobsters have been caught near Plymouth, Polperro, and Bangor, Northern Ireland, in recent years.
It is even rarer for lobsters to be white in colour – only about one in 100 million are.
In 2019, an albino lobster was caught near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and donated to the National Trust.
The lobster's appearance was caused by a genetic defect called leucism, which leaves it with no pigment in its shell.
Blue lobster is considered a delicacy, and starred in a lavish state dinner hosted by Emmanuel Macron for King Charles in 2023.
The Élysée Palace spent close to €500,000 on the September visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla, which included about €40,000 on wine.
The starter of blue lobster and crab was inspired by Louis XIV 's tastes.
The feast was executed by a team of 45 chefs led by Yannick Alléno, Anne-Sophie Pic and French pastry chef Pierre Hermé, all of whom have Michelin stars.
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BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
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Toni Robinson, founder of the Little Litter Pickers of Nottingham, said her group had retrieved 23 Lime bikes from just a short stretch of the River Leen, in the Bulwell area of the said she had written to Lime but the company had not responded to her."I would like them to stop them ending up in the river," said Ms Robinson."We're trying to keep the river clean from pollution and then we've got these bikes that are polluting the river more than probably any rubbish we've ever found was."Ms Robinson is particularly concerned because e-bikes are powered by lithium-ion batteries, and she is worried about substances entering the believes Lime should have docking bays to keep the bikes locked up unless people pay to ride them."I think young people get bored and think 'I'll throw it in the river'," said Ms Robinson."It's just been ongoing. We pick one out and there's another one in there." Ethan Radford, deputy leader of Nottingham City Council, is so concerned he has been putting on waders and entering the River Leen himself to retrieve the Lime said it started happening after the Lime scheme was introduced two years ago, in spring 2023."On one particular occasion I think we pulled out about five bikes in one day," said Radford, who has been helping Ms Robinson's group."There's obviously the environmental concerns. These things don't belong in the river. It's a natural habitat." The Environment Agency said it was in the process of setting up a meeting with Lime following "repeated attempts" to do so."The disposal of electric bikes or other waste into rivers can cause environmental damage, affect water quality, and harm aquatic life," a spokesperson said."Whilst we have pollution concerns, we primarily remove the Lime bikes from the River Leen in Nottinghamshire and other watercourses in the area such as Nethergate Brook and Ouse Dyke, to prevent blockages and reduce flood risk to local communities." Who is dumping the bikes? 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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
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Daily Mail
5 hours ago
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Heartbroken partner of mother-of-four, 48, who died in tandem skydive tragedy reveals he wants to make the same jump in her memory
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Belinda, 48, had never jumped before, but was an adrenaline junkie who would try anything once. The skydive had been a gift from her boyfriend Scott Armstrong, who was watching from the ground with his nine-year-old son. Adam, 30, was a veteran skydiver, with eight years' experience as a tandem instructor; a consummate professional with a passion for the skies. But within two minutes of exiting the plane, both Belinda, a mother of four and grandmother of two, and Adam were dead. Having fallen to earth at 120mph, their bodies were found, horrifyingly, by Scott in a nearby field. Their yellow-and-black jumpsuits were still attached together. Quite what happened – at that velocity, it would have taken just 102 seconds to reach the ground – is unknown, and the subject of an investigation. There are conflicting reports about whether their parachute was deployed, and police are believed to be analysing video footage from a camera that was attached to Adam. 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'She was the last jump before it shut [Skydive Buzz has been closed since the incident],' he said. 'So I'd like to be the first jump when it opens back up again. I'd do it for her. If she was brave enough to jump out of a plane, then I want to do it, too.' And while Belinda's 20-year-old son, Elias, said she had joked beforehand about how the jump was due to take place on Friday the 13th, supposedly an 'unlucky' day, skydiving deaths are extremely rare. Globally, there is about one fatality per 100,000 skydives, and in Britain the figure is even lower. The British Parachute Association said that between 2001 and 2020, there were no tandem skydive fatalities. Due to the presence of an instructor – who must have completed 500 tandem jumps before qualifying – tandem skydives are much safer than solo ones. The chance of spraining an ankle during a tandem jump is less than one in 2,500. The statistics are reassuring but the Mail can reveal there was an added challenge for Belinda – she was partially sighted and had only recently given up using guide dogs, instead relying on her partner's support. She also suffered from fibromyalgia, causing chronic pain and fatigue. Bachir, who had two children, Emily and Elias, with Belinda, and became a stepfather to her older sons, Connor, 27, and Jamie, 25, said he met Belinda when he was working in London as a barber. 'She was a bit crazy. She was up for anything. She was a life-lover.' Already a mother-of-two, separated from her sons' father, Belinda was struggling to juggle parenting two young boys with her job as a dental nurse. She retrained as a masseuse and reflexologist, a more flexible role. Scott said he and Belinda had lived with his son and her daughter, Emily, 13, in Totnes, and that she was determined to wring every ounce of enjoyment out of life. 'She was an absolute nutcase who loved exploring. We moved to Devon three years ago and we got rid of our TVs, [had] no computers, nothing. All we wanted was to be outside, seeing the world together.' After the jump, Belinda had been due to join Connor's birthday celebration. Scott bought the £219 skydive as a gift for his girlfriend; a 'thank you' present, he said, for letting his son move into their home. 'They were the last group to go up,' he recalled. 'I was using binoculars and saw them all jump and noticed that one chute hadn't opened. I was freaking out. They disappeared from view, and I jumped in my car with my lad and raced across the fields. 'I found Belinda and the instructor lying there, still together, both clearly dead. It was a horrific sight.' At around 12.30 pm, Bachir got a phone call from Scott. Devastated, Bachir relayed the news to his sons. Unable to drive due to the shock, he and his wife got on the first train to Devon. 'I couldn't stop crying all weekend,' he says. 'None of us could.' Skydive Buzz, which did not respond to enquiries from the Mail, said it was 'heartbroken' by the incident. 'Safety is, and always has been, our top priority,' declared the company, which was originally called Skydive UK and has been operating since 1999. Devon and Cornwall Police said 'enquiries remain ongoing'. But over a week after this devastating tragedy, very little information has emerged. There is no suggestion of any fault, by the instructor, the jump team or the company. But questions remain over how this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ended in two deaths. Adam Harrison, who lived in Bournemouth, had worked at Skydive Buzz since September 2021, and was studying to be a chiropractor. He has been remembered this week for his 'warmth, openness and positivity'. A skydiver, who did not want to be named, did a jump with Adam last August and described him as 'an incredible instructor'. 'I'd never done anything like it before and I was feeling nervous,' she told the Mail. 'I warmed to him straight away. He was very professional. Everything felt completely safe.' Reviews of Skydive Buzz are equally full of praise, though some claim that 'hard selling' is used to persuade jumpers to upgrade from the cheaper 7,000ft jump (£149) to 15,000ft. 'They spoke down to those who had only purchased the 7,000ft jump,' reads a one-star review. Belinda had originally been signed up to do the 7,000ft jump, but decided at the last minute to do the 15,000ft one. There is no suggestion the height of the skydive contributed to what happened. It is likely to be several months before Belinda's loved ones know the truth. On Monday, they will meet to discuss the details of her funeral – and what this extraordinary woman with an undimmable zest for life might have wanted. 'To be honest, I'm dreading what's ahead,' says Scott. 'None of this was the plan.'
