GIANT LOBSTER MOVED TO NEW HOME

ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys – “Betsy” the giant Florida Keys spiny lobster moved to a new home Friday.

Perched on special trailer, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies escorted the larger-than-life replica of a crustacean up the Florida Keys Overseas Highway to its new residence at the Rain Barrel Artisans' Village.

Betsy’s body measures 30 feet tall and 40 feet long, and beginning next week, a cosmetic clear-coating process and reattachment of her 12 legs are to be executed in front of the Rain Barrel.

Rain Barrel co-owner Mike Forster jokingly refers to Betsy’s refurbishment as being "in the molting stage," a phase in which spiny lobsters shed their exoskeleton to grow.

Through a 10-year lease purchase arranged with the lobster sculpture’s owners Dennis and Mia Berry, Betsy will greet visitors to the quaint open-air colony of artists.