Living in the Chesapeake Bay, I am very aware at the important role played by oysters. They filter out the water at an impressive rate which allows sunlight to penetrate all the way to the bottom. Increased sunlight penetration leads to increased plant growth which boosts the entire ecosystem of the bay! All in all oysters are awesome creatures.
I personally don't eat oysters because I feel that things are what they eat, and they eat the sludge that floats around in the bay water, thus they are merely an accumulation and organization of all the disgusting factors that exist in the bay water. I appreciate them and encourage their existence, but I take no part in the consumption of these sea creatures either. That being said, I am all for other people eating them, as commercial oyster farming has spurred the cultivation of these impressive creatures that turn filth into clean water.
The increased demand leads to increased incentive to cultivate these creatures, which leads to more of them filtering the water during their life before the dinner table. This increased consumption does lead to oysters being harvested as soon as legally allowed, leading to small oysters on the table.
While out with friends who ordered oysters, I noticed this behemoth on the platter!
My friends mistook my interest into thinking I wanted to eat the giant puddle of snot collected in the shell. I declined their offers to slurp down that salty swallow, simply asking for the shell once the animal had been consumed.
You can see the other "average" oyster shell sizes next to it, clearly denoting this specimen as a monster oyster! While comparing it to other oyster shells is rather subjective, here it is placed next to a standard dinner knife. This oyster either eluded capture for longer than all the other oysters or it grew remarkably fast in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Either way, this oyster shell is the biggest oyster shell I have ever seen, ever!
