Alessandro Montanari, the famed “dinosaurs of the sea” fisherman from Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean, just added a huge, heavy fish to his extensive list. The Italian-Costa Rican shared with his fans the recent fishing of a Grouper weighing more than 115 kilos. This fisherman told that the catch occurred earlier this week in front of Limón center where, he said, the water is more crystalline than the southern beaches.
Catching this huge Grouper
Fishing for this grouper occurred behind Quiribrí Island, better known by its popular name as Uvita Island. The grouper is a species whose meat is highly prized. According to bibliographic information, the goliath (Epinephelus itajara) is the largest grouper in the Western Hemisphere, reaching 8 feet in length and weighing more than 1,000 pounds. In the case of the grouper caught by Alessandro, the meat ended up not only to feed him but also for numerous families in the southern Caribbean.
A family tradition
A fisherman since childhood, this son of a fishing family in the Adriatic Sea – has known the trade since he was 3 years old – and has surprised locals and strangers in our country with his impressive catches for 18 years.
He has caught snapper, tuna, grouper, and cabrilla, just to mention a few species, with unimaginable sizes and weights. Alessandro assured that his fishing activities have been possible due to two factors: One of them is his knowledge of the waters in the area. The other is a product of perseverance since he goes out to sea four or five times a week.
He recognizes, however, that the task is increasingly difficult due to changes produced by the climate and pollution. And the Pandemic was an even bigger blow. This is because the businesses (hotels, restaurants, and sodas) in Puerto Viejo and its surroundings were closed for a long time, resulting in zero customers and difficulties for selling the products of his catches.
