Theft of 16-foot mounted marlin sparks outrage in one Florida town: ‘An all time low’

The darnedest things disappear during hurricanes in Florida, but there’s definitely something fishy about the vanishing act of a nearly 16-foot mounted marlin after Hurricane Ian.

Not only is it longer than the average car, but it weighs 200 pounds.

That means the thieves were creative and well-prepared when they swiped what amounts to a local landmark from the Eagle Grille - Miller’s Dockside. The restaurant is in Boca Grande, about 100 miles south of Tampa.

“Someone decided to borrow our marlin, we would appreciate someone returning it to the dock before we get law enforcement involved,” the restaurant wrote in a Nov. 3 Facebook post.

“And yes we took it down for the hurricane so it didn’t blow away. It was inside during the storm.”

Both the cops and Crimestoppers are now involved in the odd case, but clues remain sparse.

The marlin disappeared sometime between Oct. 28 and Oct. 31 after the restaurant placed it back outside on a pier for remounting, officials said.

Among the mysteries is how the thieves carted it off, including whether they did it by land or sea. The restaurant sits along Southwest Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, so anything is possible.

The marlin has been on public display in Boca Grande for more than a decade after being donated by the angler who battled the 1,289-pound fish, restaurant officials say. It shrank to 200 pounds during the mounting process.

Many of the commenters on social media see the theft — or prank — as “an all time low” at a time when so many are still to rebuild after Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole.

“The good and the bad will show up in the aftermath of the hurricane. But stealing the marlin mount at Millers… that’s a special kind of low,” Jay Withers wrote.

“None of us are in the mood for any shenanigans. Always up for a good time & a good laugh but this isn’t funny,” one Boca Grande department store posted on Facebook.

“That person should meet his sharp end (of the marlin) in their rear end,” Sheila Christensen posted.

This story was originally published December 12, 2022 at 4:24 AM with the headline "Theft of 16-foot mounted marlin sparks outrage in one Florida town: ‘An all time low’."