Angler reveals major detail missed in jaw-dropping video of 'legendary' predator: 'It's crazy'
There's no doubt this video was one of the most exciting for 2024. But the fisherman's excitement was about more than just one fish.
One of the world’s most startling fishing videos was so engaging most people missed its most important detail. At first glance, it appears as if a massive shark is leaping from the water, but it soon becomes clear it's a feisty tuna chasing its prey.
Standing close to the edge of the boat, we see angler Robin Galczewski beam with delight as he takes a photograph of a lifetime of the massive creature. But what’s not immediately apparent is that his excitement was about more than just snapping a photo.
Speaking to Yahoo News, Galczewski explained he’d grown up in Sweden in the 1980s hearing rumours that tuna once thrived in the Öresund strait which divides his homeland and Denmark.
“I'm born here, and I've fished all my life in this place and there were no tuna at all,” he said.
“It was like a legend. When I was fishing with my father, all we saw was small cod and herring, nothing like big bluefin tuna. And I never in my life imagined I would see one.”
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Moment 'unicorn' of a fish leaps from water
Then in 2015, there were new reports that tuna had been seen north of Sweden. And by 2018, he was seeing snippets of grainy footage apparently showing tuna.
Galczewski began searching for the tuna in 2022, but their first attempts were failures. But one day, while he was out on a boat, his son shouted the words: Over there!
The ocean just exploded. For me, it was like seeing a unicorn. It was so crazy.Robin Galczewski
In 2024, Galczewski returned with the aim of capturing the perfect picture of one of the legendary tuna.
“We found them right away. They were plentiful because the garfish are there which they hunt, so you could see hundreds in a day,” he said.
“But it's so fast and getting close is not so easy. But then my son saw the garfish jumping behind us, and the fish exploded towards us. They’re so fast, you can’t aim. You just need to be ready and pull the trigger.”
Why most people were distracted by important detail
The video, taken in September, went viral after he uploaded it to his Instagram, and Galczewski was conducting interviews every day with international media. He believes the fascination with the clip is that it highlights a mixture of luck and skill. “My reaction also pulls in a lot of audience,” he quipped.
“When I got interviewed by magazines, the front picture was always my face. Very few focused on the fish,” he added.
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But for Galczewski the real story was one about the natural world. Numbers of cod, herring and salmon have all plummeted because of what he calls “greedy” overfishing in Sweden. So seeing the tuna return was an important moment of hope.
“It’s a feel-good story. It shows that if you work a lot with the environment and fish, you can have great success. But no one focused on that,” he said.
Why have the tuna returned?
The return of the tuna has been linked to restrictions on catching bait fish that the tuna eat, particularly in the Mediterranean where they spend the spring.
“To see the tuna so back and understand that it's possible to work with the oceans, and things can get positive again,” Galczewski said.
Before the tuna returned, many young people thought tuna were small like sardines because they’d only seen them inside cans. Now their presence is drawing tourists from around the region who want to see the fish for themselves.
“The cod fishery became so low you cannot fish for them. Without the cod, fishermen couldn’t provide for their families so some sold their boats. But now the tuna are back, and they can do the tuna tours.
“Instead of fishing, they take tourists out to watch the tuna jump. And the children you hear from the boats, they’re screaming and laughing.”
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