Catching billfish is all fun and games until a live one flies into the boat. At least that was the takeaway for the few anglers who nearly got skewered by a marlin recently while fishing in the Pacific Ocean. A video shared to Instagram on July 25 shows the chaos that ensues when a hooked blue marlin jumps into the back of their boat.
The video was captured from the tuna tower of the Sugaree, a 64-foot Spencer that’s based in Los Sueños, Costa Rica, according to the @sugaree_sportfishing Instagram page. Los Sueños is an 1,100-acre luxury resort and marina located on the country’s Central Coast, which provides access to one of the best offshore marlin fisheries in the world.
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At the start of the video, the angler standing on the deck of the stern is already tight to a big blue marlin. As he cranks on the reel, the captain throws the boat in reverse and backs down hard on the fish—a common practice when battling large billfish in open water. When they get closer to the fish, it breaks the water’s surface and starts jumping away from the boat.
After making four or five leaps, the marlin suddenly turns 180 degrees. Now facing right at the Sugaree, the fish keeps jumping toward the boat as the captain keeps reversing. What happens next is no surprise. The marlin flies out of the water sideways and bounces off the gunnel into the stern of the boat.
The chaos is immediate. With the giant marlin thrashing around the deck, it’s every man for himself as the anglers and mates try to steer clear of the fish’s sharp bill. They run in circles while the angry marlin keeps bouncing around the deck and beating its tail, kicking buckets, rod holders, and other objects into the ocean.
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At the end of the video, everyone has cleared the deck. The spent blue marlin keeps on kicking, but by this point, the fish has officially been landed.
“Great trip! Thanks Captain and crew!” writes one commenter who was apparently onboard at the time. “Saw my life flash before my eyes! Ready to go again.”