The marlin myth of Pambula Lake was busted by oyster farmers yesterday, September 18.
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Earlier this month, two photos of a striped marlin caused a stir on social media, sparking the question – is it real or fake?
The photos were screen shots from a video claimed to have been taken in Pambula Lake in August.
Local fishermen were in disbelief, one saying “it is like seeing a yowie down on Pambula Oval, I think it is complete bull.”
They have now eaten their words after oyster farmers found a floating marlin carcass by oyster leases at Broadwater.
Oyster Farmer Jack Salt said the carcass was roughly six foot long and weighed 70kg.
“It was pretty impressive and heaps big, we were also thinking – this thing looks pretty stinky,” he said.
READ MORE: Bluefin Tuna sighting in Pambula Lake
Farmers promptly removed the decomposing carcass away from the oyster leases after concerns it may affect their harvest.
“It had been dead for ages, it was pretty white with its guts hanging out a bit, we dragged it out of the lake,” Mr Salt said.
Farmers joked among themselves deciding who was going to “do the honours” of handling the dead fish, Mr Salt was subject to “tackle it first.”
“When I grabbed its bill it just sorta came off, which looks pretty cool,” he said.
“We have it all in tact, the bill attached to its jaw.”
In the efforts of removing the dead marlin, Mr Salt decided to keep the sentimental headpiece which he described “pretty stinky too.”
“The smell was pretty rank, quite brutal and not ideal.”