Betsy the lobster is the protector of the artists' village (10 photos + 1 video)

This prickly beast guards the village of artists, fighting for the title of the largest lobster in the world.





Can any factors limit the flight of imagination of the masters? Of course not. Therefore, thanks to them, both classic cute images and dark and even frightening ones can appear. Like this one.



Islamorada, Florida

And so the Rain Barrel Artist Village in Islamorada, Florida, became home to Betsy, a massive roadside lobster statue that is a serious contender for the title of the world's largest lobster.

Rain Barrel - A Village of Creative People

Designed in eerily realistic detail, Betsy is a large Caribbean spiny lobster that was created in the 1980s to honor the species found in the Florida Keys.



Unlike many of their brethren, they don't have pincers, but as Betsy demonstrates, they don't need them to be menacing and intimidating. Their shells are covered in sharp spikes and have a tuft of long antennae.



Richard Blaze, hired by a local restaurateur, created the sculpture over five years, beginning in 1980. This reflects the impact the species had on South Florida culture. The establishment closed shortly after its completion. And Betsy was out of business for a long time. Betsy's original home was in South Florida, in front of another mall, where she became a popular photo spot. In 2009, part of the mall was converted into a Montessori school, and the monstrous creature was moved to its new home, Rain Barrel Village in Islamorada.



At 40 feet long and 33 feet tall, Betsy is not only a near-living nightmare, but also a contender for the title of the largest lobster on the planet.