#20. An Exciting Adventure
A professional fisherman named Steve Townson always looked forward to trying new things, and going to the Amazon in a dangerous fishing expedition seemed like the perfect idea. He wanted to catch a fish bigger than he ever caught before, so the region seemed like the perfect place to do it.
However, he had no idea the kind of creature that he would encounter during his adventure and how hard it would be to catch it. He went in quite unprepared and had to face different complications during his adventure. Let’s take a look at his journey and see how he managed to find this monstrous creature.
#19. An Experienced Fisherman
Steve had a lot of experience as a fisherman before he set sail on this adventure. He was particularly skilled in catching angler fish, which, in case you haven’t seen one before, it’s a horrifying type of fish with long, sharp fangs. This fish also comes in all shapes and sizes, and can get very, very big.
Although it seems like a very peaceful activity for those who do it casually, professional fishing can be an exhausting, dangerous activity that is definitely not for everyone. As you can see in the picture, Steve has caught his fair share of big fish all by himself. But if you think that this one is big, wait to see what he actually encountered in the Amazon.
#18. It Takes Patience
Fishing also takes a lot of patience to master. There are times when fishermen just sit around for hours, waiting for something to catch, and sometimes, they even go home empty-handed, which can be extremely frustrating. But the other side of this activity is that fishing in very active waters can be extremely dangerous.
The Amazon river, for example, is filled with all kinds of fish and other creatures that certainly make the fishing experience entertaining, but also very difficult. You never know what you’re going to find, but rest assured you’ll find something. You may find regular fish, or even a giant water snake (yes, those are real).
#17. A Dangerous Place
Can you imagine finding a gigantic water snake? Well, that’s the kind of animal you can expect to find in the Amazon, among other terrifying creatures that can swallow you whole. It is definitely not a river people can swim in, and even fishing there is very, very dangerous. It is very hard to make it out of that river alive!
The waters are also pretty shallow, so you can clearly see what is lurking in there. On top of the scary, gigantic snakes, there are crocodiles, and even sharks swimming in there. And of course, there are many scary creatures on the land as well, so one has to be extremely careful when going there. Steve wasn’t, however.
#16. Scary Sightings
As we’ve stated before, the Amazon is largely unexplored due to how dangerous it is. But over the years, many people have reported seeing all sorts of creatures, especially in the river. Some of its myths have been explained, but others remain a scary mystery.
Many people have witnessed a huge, snake-like fish swimming in the waters, and Steve decided to find that creature and catch it. Maybe it was just an urban legend, or maybe it was real. Either way, Steve was set to find out and possibly go on the most exciting and dangerous mission of his career.
#15. Getting Ready
Steve knew what he was getting himself into, so he tried to be as ready as possible to face this mission. He got a crew to help him navigate the scary waters of the Amazon and a boat with all the necessary gear to survive the expedition. However, he did not anticipate what would happen in the end.
The truth is, some life jackets aren’t going to stop a huge snake or a crocodile from eating you if that’s what they want to do, so Steve and his crew were putting their lives in serious risk. They could only hope that the weather would be good, and that luck would be on their side as they sailed away.
#14. The Secrets Of The Waters
Steve’s adventure began, and he and his crew set sail on their rather small boat to try to find the biggest catch he could possibly get. The trip started out in a pretty boring way, as the waters were calm and they didn’t find anything particularly interesting. But that’s exactly what the Amazon is all about.
One minute, you could be surrounded by ordinary, harmless fish, and the next, you could be eaten by a shark. Sadly, because their trip was so calm so far, they let their guard down, and they didn’t anticipate that things would gradually become more and more dangerous as they sailed down the river.
#13. The First Encounter
One of the most famous creatures that can be found in the area are piranhas. These creatures are so widely feared that they even got their own horror movie franchise! Piranhas are known for travelling in big groups and devouring the flesh off of their prey without any mercy.
Even though they’re quite small, because they swim in huge groups, they are practically invincible. Without realizing what he was doing, Steve decided to stop in a spot that ended up being full of piranhas. Luckily, as soon as they realized, they sailed away and looked for deeper waters.
#12. Change Of Plans
Because of the piranhas, Steve decided to change their trajectory and go into deeper waters, as piranhas tend to swim in shallow areas. However, as they were going deeper and deeper, a storm began to pour, which threatened to turn their boat over and leave them stranded.
However, Steve had a gut feeling that they were getting close to the creature he was looking for, so instead of going back to safety, he decided to keep going and follow his hunch. The crew trusted him because of his experience, and they all kept sailing. What they saw next would change their trip completely.
#11. When Courage Pays Off
Steve and his crew had to power through the storm on their little boat for a couple hours, but their courage surely paid off, as they started to find some pretty interesting things once the storm cleared. They finally found a deeper spot to settle on, and they started fishing.
After throwing the line, it was time to wait and see if anything would take the bait. It took a while, but eventually, something bit and began pulling. The strength of whatever creature was there was pretty strong, so Steve knew that the had found something worth all the hassle. However, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.
#10. A Battle
The “fish” was putting up a pretty good fight that went on for minutes. Still, Steve didn’t give up and kept trying to catch it. The creature got increasingly angry and started pulling away harder and harder, which caused pretty huge waves that almost turned their boat over.
Then, one of the members of his crew had the crazy idea to just jump in the water and grab it with his own hands. What in the world was he thinking? He could potentially lose his life, but there was no time to think, and Steve was too busy struggling to control the thing at the end of the line.
#9. Almost There
Even with the help of the crew member trying to grab it, it was almost impossible to catch this thing. The boat was rocking, water was splashing, and the creature could not be identified because it refused to come out of the water. Meanwhile, Steve’s line was about to snap due to the strength of the fish.
It seemed like they were about to not only lose the fight, but also end the whole trip if Steve’s fishing rod was broken. They would’ve traveled all the way to the Amazon for nothing, and they would never figure out what that strong, scary creature was. But then, it finally seemed as though they were going to grab it.
#8. What Is It?
After struggling with the creature for several minutes, Steve realized it was losing strength. Then, he thought he could also jump in the water with the crew and try to just grab it with his bare hands, because the line wasn’t strong enough to pull such an animal out of the water.
But even though there were now two men trying to catch this thing, it was still a huge battle. The thing was very heavy and kept moving around to try to get away. Still, Steve managed to let a part of its body show, and that’s when it dawned on him that he might be holding a huge snake in his hands, which could actually put his life in danger.
#7. Getting A Hold Of It
It was too late now to let it go, even if it was indeed a snake, Steve did not care. He just wanted to catch it, whatever it took. They managed to pull it to the surface and they could finally see what they were actually dealing with and luckily, it wasn’t a snake.
This meant that despite its size and strength, the creature may not have been dangerous. Still, they had no idea what it was, and they needed to get it out of the water completely to really see what it was. So, with the help of yet another crew member, they pulled it out and finally saw what it was.
#6. The Big Reveal
It wasn’t a snake, or a crocodile, or some type of humongous deadly piranha. Lucky for them, it was a freshwater fish! This meant that the animal was absolutely harmless, so they could all finally take a big breath of relief. However, they still didn’t know what species it was, or even if it was a new species that had never been seen before.
All they knew was that it was potentially the biggest freshwater fish in the entire world – and they were right indeed. Steve had caught the biggest fish that has ever been seen in history. Now it was time to bring his story to light and try to identify the biggest catch he had ever gotten.
#5. The Arapaima
It turns out that the fish is known as the arapaima, which is the biggest species of freshwater fish that has been discovered so far on Earth. Although Steve didn’t discover the species, he did catch the biggest one yet. His adventure also allowed researchers to know more about this mysterious animal.
The arapaima is so large that it can be up to 3 meters (10 feet) long. They are also very heavy and can weigh up to 400 pounds, which is why this one was so hard to catch. Still, even though they are huge and look really scary, they are absolutely harmless to humans, unlike many of the animals in the Amazon.
#4. A Dream Come True
Steve really wanted to check this dream off his bucket list, but when it happened, he was speechless, especially because he didn’t think he would do it so early on his trip. This could’ve potentially taken days, but thanks to his experience and his instincts, he knew exactly where to go and what to do.
Now, he had broken a world record and had caught the biggest freshwater fish in the world. However, it was later discovered that he actually caught one of the smallest arapaimas, and that there are much larger ones swimming in the murky waters of the Amazon river.
#3. More Discoveries
After Steve’s achievement, more people wanted to find arapaimas and some even dared to swim with them, just like the man on the photo. Although it seems terrifying, the fish doesn’t seem to mind at all! In fact, more and more people are now fishing for them, which has put them in danger.
You can imagine that such a fish can feed an entire family for days, so locals are now actively trying to find more and more of them, which is sadly putting the entire species in danger. So, what did Steve do with his catch? Finding such creatures is find and all, but what could he possibly do with such a large fish?
#2. The Aftermath
Unlike what people are doing nowadays, Steve only wanted to take a picture with his catch to show off, but then released it back into the water. That’s actually what he always does, believe it or not. Steve enjoys the thrill of fishing but does not actually find it rewarding to kill his catch.
Still, before releasing them, he loves taking funny pictures of them and sharing them on social media to make all his fishing buddies jealous. It is good to know that after such a battle, the poor arapaima went back to safety without any harm, which is not the usual fate of fish of its kind.
#1. A Unique Experience
Steve is all smiles in the footage captured by his crew, and after making his dream come true, he is now ready for different things. Although fishing is his passion, he is considering retiring soon, especially after such a thrilling experience. All good things come to an end at some point, don’t they?
His last catch up to now was this gigantic catfish, which he of course released back into the water. It has been a great run for him, but now, it’s time for him to live a more calm life away from dangerous waters. If you were Steve, would you retire or go on more crazy adventures?