He was hoisted out of his tank and lowered into the North Sea today before divers set him free.
Rip is expected to swim to the deep waters of the western Atlantic to breed but it is likely to take him several weeks to get there.
Aquarium learning officer Sandra Bisset said: 'The lifting operation was a success. He was lifted up then put in the water but he wouldn't gave everyone a bit of entertainment.
'Quite a lot of people came to see him go. There was an in-service day up here so quite a few children turned up to give him a cheer.
'I'm not too sure how long the migration will take. It depends on whether he goes straight there or stays here for a while.' Marine centre staff have been feeding Rip a diet of squid and mackerel so he is strong enough to migrate It is not the first time Macduff Marine Aquarium staff have set a conger free to find love. One called Stretch was released into the sea to begin the mammoth journey to breed in 2004.
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