:: MIKE BENITEZ R.I.P. ::
Miguel Donato, chairman of the 59th International Billfish Tournament of
Club Náutico de San Juan, mourns the passing of Capt. Mike Benitez
Mike Benitez passed away on Jan. 3 2012 in Boston, Mass.
January 18, 2012
The International Billfish Tournament (IBT) of Club Náutico de San Juan acknowledges the life and sportsmanship of one of the most outstanding anglers of his time: the maestro, the “legend” Capt. Mike Benitez, beloved friend and Club Member.
Our Tournament recognizes his life, his achievements and his commitment to the exploration of new fishing grounds to promote and enjoy sports fishing.
During the 58th Awards Ceremony of the IBT, our Club announced Capt. Mike Benitez would be the Club’s nominee for IGFA’S Chester H. Wolfe Outstanding Sportsmanship Award. He was THE NOMINEE because he perfectly fit the award’s profile: FAIR PLAY, GRACIOUSNESS, RESPECT, and ETHICAL BEHAVIOR WHILE FISHING IN TOURNAMENT SETTINGS. That was Capt. Mike Benitez.
He started fishing back in 1950 when the Puerto Rico Tourism Company actively promoted deep sea fishing in Puerto Rico. During that time he constructed his own boat, a 36 Rybovich replica which he called Rebecca, in honor of his daughter.
When he caught a 756-pounder world record with Allan Sherman in 1956, he placed Puerto Rico on the map of sports fishing. Even The New York Times and other dailies and fishing magazines published related articles
In the 1973 he caught a majestic 1,162 black marlin with Capt. Peter Wright in Cairns, Australia. In that period he also fished Hawaii, Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, Brazil, Venezuela, and Panama, among others.
In the 1970s when Chilo Bird actively promoted our Tournament among international anglers and Johnny Harms opened a marina in St. Thomas, Mike Benitez was there to encourage anglers to fish in San Juan and St. Thomas. He moved tourists to St. Thomas’ North Drop in the months of June, July, August and September where they would raise as many as 10 or 12 blue marlin per day.
He established a fishing charter business which still operates today and is currently known as “Mike Benitez Marine Services” within Club Náutico de San Juan. In the 1990's he also operated a charter boat out of Funchal, Madeira, off the coast of Africa, to capture the giant blue marlin on the other side of the Atlantic.
In 2011 during the 58th IBT a group of anglers from Scotland requested to fish on his charter boat, “Sea Born.” Mike was there when Trevor Somny released one of his three Blues to push the Scotland team to win as 2011 Second International Team.
But the most amazing thing ocurred with a satellite tag during the 58th IBT. Mike Benitez caught a sizeable 575 pounder Blue on the “Sea Born” on September 7, 2011. Since then Mike’s marlin traveled all the way to Africa. Its tag popped off and surfaced off the coast of Angola on January 5, 2012 – just two days after Mike passed away. What a coincidence!
According to IGFA’s Great Marlin Race co-director, Dr. Randy Kochevar of Stanford University, Mike Benitez’s fished traveled 4,776 nautical miles from San Juan to the African coast, and currently it stands as the marlin that has traveled the farthest with a Pop Off Archival Tag (PAT).
Dr. Kochevar said: “This may be one of the longest, if not the longest, marlin tracks ever recorded on an electronic tag. To have a marlin swim from the Caribbean all the way across the Atlantic and across the Equator to Africa reminds us of how remarkable these animals are and how much we still have to learn from them.”
For us in Club Náutico de San Juan the fact that this PAT on Mike’s fish popped off 48 hours after Mike’s passed away leaves us amazed and in awe.
It shows us that the Lord works in mysterious ways and allows us to reiterate something we already knew: Mike Benitez is a legend. His gentleness, his treatment of others, his manners, and his way of doing business and the way he related to people will always be remembered and emulated by all of us. May he rest in peace. Mike Benitez was 79 years old.
