Former Surfer Matt Rockhold Removes Barnacles from Crabs, Goes Viral
Matt Rockhold, a former professional surfer of 20 years, now works as a fisherman and shares his ocean love online under the handle The Friendliest Catch. He is best known for removing barnacles from crabs before releasing them back into the water. Barnacles can harm crabs by adding weight or, in the case of parasitic Sacculina, feeding on them. Rockhold's videos, described as the ocean equivalent of pimple popping, show him using pliers to pop barnacles from crabs' bodies, including near eyes and leg joints. In one viral clip, he removes two giant barnacles from a crab's carapace, then gives it a fish scrap before returning it to the ocean. He posts on TikTok and Instagram, where millions follow his barnacle removal series.
Key facts
- Matt Rockhold was a professional surfer for over 20 years.
- He now runs The Friendliest Catch on TikTok and Instagram.
- He removes barnacles from crabs before releasing them.
- Barnacles can add weight and parasitic Sacculina can feed on crabs.
- He uses pliers to pop barnacles, including near eyes and leg joints.
- In a viral video, he removed two large barnacles from a crab's carapace.
- He gives crabs a fish scrap before returning them to the ocean.
- His videos are described as ocean equivalent of pimple popping with marine education.
Entities
Artists
- Matt Rockhold
Institutions
- The Friendliest Catch
- TikTok