He hustled it ashore before it could break free of his grasp although with that hooked bill in him it would have been difficult to get away.
He worked at subduing the catfish by poking that hooked bill into a soft spot until the catfish stopped wiggling so fiercely.
Unfortunately the proverbial "eyes bigger than your stomach" or in this case throat prevailed and he couldn't swallow the whole thing. He ended up leaving it for the vultures who were standing nearby waiting for the right moment to capitalize on the situation.
Later, when we returned after lunch, we saw another catch by a cormorant only this time he flung his head back and swallowed the catfish whole, head first, in one gulp. You could see his throat expand. Then he gulped and the lump went away. Don't know how he managed to swim again with all of that in his belly.
Things are never dull when you explore the Everglades.
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