Over the weekend, a 619-pound blue marlin was disqualified from a fishing tournament in North Carolina due to visible bite marks on its flesh, resulting in anglers losing out on prize money exceeding $3.5 million.

The crew aboard the Sensation boat believed they had successfully caught the winning fish at the 65th Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City, N.C. They managed to reel in the year’s first catch surpassing the 500-pound threshold, earning an additional $739,500 in the process.

However, during the weighing process conducted by tournament officials, it was discovered that a portion of the marlin’s side was missing, leading to its disqualification.

Greg McCoy, the captain of the Sensation, expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s a tough pill to swallow after fighting with him for six hours, especially in the final hour, the final day.“

The tournament organizers released a statement on Sunday explaining that the fish had suffered mutilation prior to being landed or brought onto the boat, rendering it ineligible for the competition.

^{One of the devastated crew members of Sensation was seen being consoled following their disqualification from the tournament and loss of $3.5 million in prize money}

According to the International Game Fish Association, if a fish sustains damage caused by sharks, other fish, mammals, or propellers that remove or penetrate the flesh before it is landed or boated, it is considered ineligible for winning.

Consequently, the tournament title and the first prize of $2.77 million were awarded to the Sushi boat, which had caught a marlin weighing 484.5 pounds.

^{Source Story (pictures courtesy of Facebook)}