By Ashleigh / Jun 9, 2022
A Rare Catch
He transferred his catch to a water basin to keep everything alive. He thought about setting the odd creature back into the ocean but knew his family would get a kick out of the weird fish their dad brought home.
Mexican-fish.com
With everything set, he turned on his motor and hurried back home. He had no idea what he was bringing to his house.
A Beautiful Place
The world is a beautiful place with so much for us to discover. Among its attractive features are oceans, those great bodies of water that link the seven continents that we live on.
Pexels – Belle Co
The ocean is vast, so vast that humanity has only explored twenty percent of it. But this small percentage has yielded such wonders that have left many stumped over the years.
Making Millions
Among the latest craze surfacing from these majestic water bodies is a rare creature that has taken the world by storm. Many people are risking their lives to search out and catch these creatures, and some are even making millions while at it.
Food Navigator Asia
The protagonist of this story didn’t know what he’d caught until the authorities came rushing to his door. But by then, it was too late.
Muhammad Sahid Ali
Muhammad Sahid Ali was your average fisherman off the coast of Morocco. He didn’t have a lot going on for him and was known only to do one thing: fish.
Pexels – Piotr Arnoldes
Although Ali had been fishing for more than a year, he wasn’t the best. He wasn’t financially well off either, given that he depended solely on his daily catch on the ocean. But this would soon change.
His Past
Before becoming a fisherman, Ali had been working in a toothpaste factory. But he lost his job after the management announced they’d be automating most of their processes.
Pexels – Luiz Fernando Maciel
Without a way to feed his family, Ali ventured into the only thing he could at the time: diving into the ocean to snare any fish that could fetch a price at the market.
Tough Times
The week that everything happened was a tough one for Ali. His family hadn’t eaten for a day, and his kids were out of school because of fees.
Pexels – Moussa – Idrissi
Ali woke up early each day of that week and hurried to the ocean to fish. But what he’d catch would cause such a buzz that his life would never be the same.
Is This Supposed To Be Here?
It was early morning when Ali made his great catch. His haul was a hefty one, and he knew his family would eat all the fish they wanted that day.
Pexels – Pratikxox
But as he emptied his haul onto his boat, he noticed something that made his brows furrow. He stepped back, unsure if what he was looking at was supposed to be among his catch.
It’s Big
The creature in question was large and sausage-shaped. It looked like one of those massive hot dogs his sons loved eating on market day but bigger. Measuring it against his arm, it reached his elbow from his wrist.
Pexels – Ahmet Kurt
The creature, whatever it was, was also pinkish, with many spike-like protrusions all over its body. It wiggled helplessly as Ali neared.
Thinking It Through
Ali transferred his catch to a water basin to keep everything alive. He thought about setting the odd creature back into the ocean but knew his family would get a kick out of the weird fish their dad brought home.
Pexels – Kindel -Media
With everything set, he turned on his motor and hurried back home. He had no idea what he was bringing to his house.
Bringing It Home
Ali’s wife screamed and jumped back when she saw the creature. But the boys laughed as they gathered around it, their faces drawn into the warmest smiles. Ali’s lips curled as he watched them study the creature.
Pexels – Mark – Neal
With everything he’d brought back that morning, he’d be able to cover part of their tuition fees for that semester. If only he knew that the price of the odd creature could easily sort out a lifetime of tuition.
A Detour
The day went on well for Ali, who, after breakfast, hurried off to sell his catch at the market. But before going there, he made a detour to the ocean to return the creature to the water.
Flickr
He’d thought about selling it with the rest of his fish but seeing as to how ugly his wife found it to be, he decided against it. Since it was still alive, Ali would set it free. If only he knew what he had in his hands.
Releasing It Back Into The Ocean
He let the creature go, releasing it back into the blue ocean. The sun was burning above him as he got into his truck and drove to the market.
Healthline
He had no clue that his kids and wife had told their neighbors about what he’d brought home and that the authorities were searching for him.
Using The Money
Ali sold all his fish and went straight to the bank to clear his kids’ tuition fee as planned. He also bought some provisions for the house and a gift for his wife with some of the remaining money.
Public Domain
But as he was returning home, he got stopped by the authorities, who asked about the creature’s whereabouts.
Not A Mere Fish
“They wanted to know if I sold it,” Ali shared. “They handed me some forms and told me what I had caught. I couldn’t believe it.”
The Weather Channel
It turns out Ali had caught a rare sea cucumber, which went for more than sixteen thousand dollars in the Asian fish market. But why were the police looking for him because of a mere water creature?
A Kilo Costs What?
Due to how valuable sea cucumbers are, they’ve become endangered as many people are searching for them. A kilo of regular sea cucumbers can cost upwards of three thousand dollars, while the rarer, more weird-looking kind like the one Ali caught are more expensive.
Pexels – Tom D_arby
Since these creatures are endangered, it’s illegal to fish for them in many countries. If Ali didn’t release the one he caught back into the ocean, he’d be looking at serious jail time.
