The Florida Keys wraps itself around you, lulling you into a blissful state as you pull up a stool at a tiki bar to order a key-lime martini as the sun slowly falls from a sky that looks as if it were painted by Monet, and as you begin to think about the parrotfish you will see as you lazily snorkel over coral reefs come morning. Ah.
But the Keys are not always about solitary quiet pleasures: On the last Wednesday of July, at precisely 12:01 AM, when moonbeams are dancing on inky waters, the annual mini lobster season begins, which means that until 12:00 midnight on Thursday, you can morph into a lobsterer.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission invite novices and experts alike to experience the joy of lifting a net out of Florida waters with a Florida Spiny lobster dancing inside it – and up to 60,000 snorkelers and divers will head to the Keys to catch their dinner with their own hands. Are you in?
THE LOBSTER INFORMATION BOOTH
Aspiring lobsterers should head to the Lobster Information Booth in Key Largo where friendly workers from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can tell you everything that you ever wanted to know about catching the Florida Spiny lobster, including how to use a tickle stick to coax the bashful “bug” (this is Florida Keys-speak for lobster) out of its hiding place.
THE LOBSTER PALOOZA EVENT
Bahia Honda State Park holds a family-friendly event aptly named Lobster Palooza where you can learn about the upcoming mini-season – the palooza is held annually on the Tuesday before the mini season begins – and even touch a Spiny lobster who is lounging around in a tank, or take an official tour of a Coast Guard vessel. The excellent demonstrations on how to catch a Spiny lobster are a must-see.
THE BASICS
As are many of the true pleasures in this life, lobstering in the Florida Keys is simple: You only need a net, a tickle stick, and your trusty mask and snorkel to land a Florida Spiny lobster. You should also be in reasonably good health, as swimming down to meet the bug of your choice behind a rock requires holding your breath, using your arm muscles to hold and move a net and climbing in an out of a boat.
CHOOSING A BOAT
The 48-hour length of the mini season means that there is a buzz in the air, the kind of communal excitement that rouses up when a group of human beings are about to do something usual, and memorable, together. It is important to keep your wits about you and not fall victim to mini season mania; this means hiring a boat with a serious captain who has the appropriate licenses, regulation lifejackets and other safety equipment on board.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Shrugging off the trappings of who you are – perhaps a stay-at-home mom with a rambunctious two-year-old or a marketing manager for a firm of optometrists – and sliding into the waters of the Florida Keys, lobstering net in hand, to seek out a Spiny lobster as it lies chameleon-like on a coral reef is freeing: You will feel like 8-year-old again. And you can do it all over again just as soon as it is over – you are legally permitted to take 6 of these soon-to-be delicious creatures.
After your adventure, you will hopefully have 6 spiny lobsters to cook – and clean: You will find plenty of charter boats who will take care of your catch for you, packaging it for freezing or cooking. Why not bring your catch to a local restaurant and have them grill the tails and whip up some cilantro/lime butter? You can savour each delectable bite as you remember the sweet thrill that crept up your spine when you first saw it on the ocean floor.
USEFUL LINKS
Show and Tell: A YouTuber Shares Her Key West Lobstering Experience
The Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission on Lobster
Fly Air Unlimited Charter Flights
Grill Your Lobster Tails like a Chef