From Caribbean360

A video of the freak event, which has garnered more than 400,000 YouTube views, shows the huge fish jumping aboard, decking one of the men and thrashing around.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Wednesday August 28, 2013 – In what seemed more like one of the most outlandish scenes from “Jaws” than a freak event that marred a routine fishing expedition, a group of Florida fishermen had a narrow escape off the coast of the Dominican Republic when a 350-pound blue marlin leapt into their boat, almost impaling one of them.

A video of the event, which has already gone viral, garnering more than 400,000 views on YouTube, shows the huge fish hurling itself aboard the ironically named “Marlin Darlin,” knocking one of the men to the deck, and then thrashing around as the fishermen attempt to restrain it.

The fishermen told CNN that they had planned to release the marlin back into the water, but were unable to do so after it died due to “self-sustained” injuries. Instead, they reportedly handed it over to local fishermen.

Blue marlins are known to fight back vigorously once hooked and are among the largest, fastest fish in the ocean.

According to National Geographic, female marlins, which are larger than the males, can reach 14 feet in length and weigh nearly 2,000 pounds. The average size, however, is around 11 feet and between 200 to 400 pounds.

As blue-water fish, marlins spend most of their lives far out at sea and prefer the higher temperatures of surface waters. They usually feed on mackerel and tuna, but are known to dive deep for squid at times. They typically cut through schools of fish with their spears, returning to eat the stunned and wounded.

While blue marlins are not currently endangered, conservationists have raised concerns that they are being overfished.

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/dominican_republic_news/945610.html?utm_source=Caribbean360+Newsletters&utm_campaign=32888cf044-Vol_8_Issue_153_News8_28_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_350247989a-32888cf044-39393477#ixzz2dNDZfUqb