'Monster' 14-pound lobster caught near Bermuda after Hurricane Nicole

A massive 14-pound lobster was caught during a fishing trip in Bermuda following a powerful category 4 hurricane that barreled through the region recently.

The lobster was caught "by accident" with a hook a line while the Sanctuary Marine Bermuda charter boat was out fishing for snapper, according to a Facebook post Saturday afternoon.
 


"Hurricane Nicole blew in some sea monsters," the post read.

After taking photos of the mammoth crustacean, the lobster was released safely back into the ocean. Photos of the lobster that were posted on the Sanctuary Marine Bermuda's Facebook page have been shared more than 6,000 times in less than 48 hours.

While appearing massive in size, the lobster is far from the bigger one ever caught; he Guinness Book of World Records lists a lobster weighing more than 44 pounds that was caught off of Nova Scotia, Canada, as the largest ever recorded, according to multiple reports.

Lobsters typically grow to be about 3 feet or longer in length, according to the University of Maine's Lobster Institute. And while there is no way to determine the exact age of a lobster, experts say they can live to be up to 100 years.

Hurricane Nicole passed over Bermuda on Thursday and moved out to sea. The storm hit Bermuda with plenty of wind and rain but never officially made landfall.

"Bermuda did get into the eye," he explained, "but when it involves an island, the center of the eye must go over the island."

Nicole attained Category 4 status Wednesday night on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, the center said, but lost wind strength Thursday.

A storm surge was expected to raise water levels by 6 to 8 feet above normal tides, and 5 to 8 inches of rain are expected to fall over the island through Thursday evening, the hurricane center said.

Nick Warren of Boston and his wife, Nicole, told CNN they were spending the week at Tucker's Point 5 resort when the storm hit. He said the weather changed from fierce storm to calm in a matter of about 15 minutes, apparently when the eye of the storm passed over, then picked up again.