Giant Fish Caught Off Iceland's Coast

Jón Ólafsson holding his "Catch of the Day"

Yesterday, there was great excitement among locals in Grindavík when Jón Ólafsson, a fisherman on the boat Þór, came ashore with a massive halibut measuring 2.5 meters in length and weighing nearly 200 kilograms.

"I've never seen anything like this in my 40-year fishing career," said Jón, still visibly amazed by the experience. "We were fishing in our usual area west of Reykjanes when the rod nearly broke under the weight."

According to Jón, it took the crew of Þór more than three hours to bring the fish aboard. "We needed four men to lift it up," he added.

Experts from the Marine Research Institute have already examined the halibut and believe it is likely between 30 and 40 years old. This is the largest halibut caught in Iceland in more than a decade.

Many townspeople came to see the giant fish and take pictures with it before it was transported to the fish market, where it sold for a record price.

"This will be a story I'll tell my grandchildren," Jón said with a smile. "Some say there are even bigger fish swimming out there, but I'm happy with this one."