Tourist pays £175 for lobster at Italian restaurant and releases it back into sea

‘She was absolutely thrilled and wanted to perform a kind act’

A tourist visiting an Italian island ordered a £175 lobster at a swanky restaurant and then dropped it into the ocean before the chefs could cook it.

The woman, according to recent news reports, asked the restaurant staff if it would cause any harm to the lobster if she were to release it from a certain height.

The Daily Mail reported on Monday that diners were left stunned when she picked up the lobster from a transparent bucket and dropped it through a metal railing of the restaurant into the sea.

The moment was captured by her husband and another person. The video was shared widely.

The unidentified Swiss woman had gone to the seafood restaurant Gente di Mare in Golfo Aranci on the Italian island of Sardinia with her husband.

The restaurant owners, Antonio and Gianluca Fasolino, told local media that the woman caressed the crustacean gently and then set it free in the ocean.

Speaking with Italian daily la Repubblica, Antonio Fasolino said: “The lady entered our restaurant and was immediately struck by the aquarium we have at the entrance.

“She asked me if the lobster, which was in the water with plenty of space available, as happens in all fish restaurants that respect animals, could be released into the sea. And I replied: no problem for me! She then sat down at the table with her husband.”

He said: “She was absolutely thrilled and wanted to perform a kind act.”

Media reports said that the lobster weighed around one kilogram, and without any hesitation, the tourist paid the price.

The eyewitnesses told the media that as soon as the lobster hit the water, it swam away.

Mr Antonio told the media: “At first, I thought she was joking.

“Then, I understood that the lady was serious and wanted to do a good deed. Seeing her joy and excitement, I was moved, too.” He added: “She was very happy and thrilled to have been able to fulfil this wish, and we were happy with her.”