lion fish yacht

Special features

• Accommodates up to 6 guests
• Very recent soft goods and electronic refresh
• Hard wood floors

Specification LIONFISH

Accommodation, construction & design, dimensions & materials, performance & engines, class & flag, deck plans lionfish.

yachting news

Superyacht events.

• Yachts for sale

Last updated Feb 5, 2024

Lion Fish Yacht | 35' Scout 2009

This Scout Abaco 35 has been consistently maintained by its owner. With an air-conditioned interior cabin that offers a fully functional galley, shower, head, and a sleeping berth that make this boat a joy to do long haul fishing trips, adventures to the sister islands, and the luxury of simply overnighting on the water to a quaint location. The aft deck is a platform designed for the convenience of fishing, diving or simply entertaining with friends and family. At the helm, you have dual Garmin displays, autopilot, and all auxiliary switches to your access. The tuna tower features a captain station with navigation instruments. Other features on this sport fisherman consist of freshwater washdown, a new SeaStar steering pump, new stereo and speakers, transom shower, bow thruster, deep freezer, onboard battery charger, and seating arrangement in the cockpit for enjoying a great time on the water. This Scout Abaco 35 has had a recent repower of twin Suzuki F350s making it turn-key and ready for new adventures. 

The boat has just had a complete buff and wax job done to it, also the generator was removed and had a full overhaul and service with new remote panel installed.

The owner can help with moving the boat to Florida any time!

Denison Yachting is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Pro Yacht.

Denison Yacht Sales offers the details of this yacht in good faith but can’t guarantee the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of this boat for sale. This yacht for sale is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal from that yacht market without notice. She is offered as a convenience by this yacht broker to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a specific yacht for sale.

INQUIRE ABOUT LION FISH

Have questions about this yacht? Fill out the form below and our team of experts will contact you soon.

Your privacy is important to us. Find out how we protect it. Privacy Policy

First-Time Buyer?

Read our guide to learn the process for buying LION FISH

Lion Fish HIGHLIGHTS

• Yacht Details: 35' Scout 2009
• Location: George Town, Cayman Islands
• Engines: Suzuki
• Last Updated: Feb 5, 2024
• Asking Price: $292,000
• Maximum Speed: 40 kn
• Max Draft: 2' 10''

Lion Fish additional information

• Cruising Speed: 30 kn
• Beam: 11' 10''
• Hull Material: Fiberglass
• Fuel Tank: 1 x 330|gallon
• Fresh Water: 1 x 60|gallon
• Holding: 1 x 21|gallon
• Single Berths: 1
• Double Berths: 2

Lion fish is rigged with a full tower and out riggers and has a full Gamin electronics package with twin 5212 units on the main helm.

the boat has just been re powered with twin Suzuki 350s with less than 40 hrs on them and full warranty.

if you are looking for a out board powered express you will not find a boat like this, boasting the cabin with the finish and layout you would expect to find in a much larger semi custom sport fisher.

EXPLORE THIS YACHT

Schedule a Tour of LION FISH

Contact our team to schedule a private showing.

SIMILAR YACHTS FOR SALE View All

42' jersey 1990, gibsons, bc, canada, 42' sabre 2003, stuart, fl, us, 42' tiara yachts 2004, stamford, ct, us, 42' silverton 2003, manistee, mi, us, pound for pound, 42' custom carolina 2000, manteo, nc, us, balls to the wall, 42' bertram 1981, venice, la, us, salty tales, 42' silverton 2008, palm coast, fl, us, other scout yachts for sale view all, 30' scout 2018, sarasota, fl, us, 40' scout 2023, 38' scout 2019, hypoluxo, fl, us, 35' scout 2020, fort lauderdale, fl, us, 42' scout 2022, charleston, sc, us, trippin south iii, orange beach, al, us, dealer demo, fajardo, puerto rico, scout yachts sales report, price watch.

Love this yacht? Get notified on price reductions and other related updates.

Our Newsletter

Stay informed on all things yachting, including notable sales, industry updates, events, and boating tips with our newsletters.

sportfish News

Read the latest sportfish news and stay up to date on related events.

RELATED SERVICES

LOGIN OR REGISTER

Hi, welcome back.

Login and pick up from where you left off.

Creating an account allows you to save and compare your favorite yachts.

By creating an account you agree to the terms of use and our privacy policy.

• THE PRINCESS PASSPORT
• Email Newsletter
• Yacht Walkthroughs
• Destinations
• Electronics
• Best Marine Electronics & Technology
• Boating Safety
• Cruising and Chartering

Rachel Bowman: The Lionfish Huntress

• By Kristin Baird Rattini
• January 12, 2022

She’s known as the “Lionfish Huntress.” During the past decade, Rachel Bowman of Marathon, Florida, has helped spearhead the charge to eradicate invasive lionfish from the waters of the Florida Keys. Bowman is the only female commercial lionfish harvester in the Keys, and she sets out in her boat, Britney Spears , to bag as many of the venomous menaces as she can find.

“In Florida, you can spear only one grouper per day, per person,” she says. “What do you do with the rest of your day? With lionfish, there’s more opportunity and more challenge. You actually have to hunt for them and spear them. And they’re pretty badass; they can really hurt you. So there’s the element of, ‘I’m going to get you before you can get me.’”

Her largest haul came as one of the four members of Team Florida Man, which in 2019 speared 2,241 lionfish in two days in the Emerald Coast Open, the world’s largest lionfish tournament.

She has collaborated extensively with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission not only to gather valuable data about lionfish populations, but also to create a viable market for lionfish meat as part of the “conservation through consumption” movement.

“By taking lionfish out of the water, you’re doing more than eating one fish,” she says. “You’re also giving a whole lot of other creatures more of a fighting chance.”

 What was your reaction the first time you saw a lionfish? It looked like a fish in a Mardi Gras costume. I grew up on my dad’s shrimping boat in North Carolina and have seen a lot of fish—flounders, red drums—that aren’t winning any beauty pageants. The lionfish looked like a fancy stegosaurus—with armor but pretty.  How does lionfish taste? Lionfish is white, flaky and extremely mild, not fishy at all. You don’t need to cover it up with sauces.

Rachel Bowman’s Top Spots

Keys Fisheries: You can sit upstairs at the raw bar, eat $3 stone-crab claws, and watch the boats bringing in their fresh catch.

Sparky’s Landing Fish ’n’ Cocktails: They have the best fish tacos I’ve ever eaten.

Florida Keys Steak & Lobster House: They serve the best sushi on the Middle Keys.

Florida Yeys Aquarium Encounters: It offers awesome interactive experiences. You can get in the pool with the stingrays, and they lie on your lap.

• More: Cruising & Chartering , Island Icon , November 2021
• More Cruising and Chartering

Charter Clients, Start Your Engines

Exotic yacht charter opportunities, cruising to key largo, it’s incentive season for charter yachts, for sale: sunseeker predator 68, for sale: cl yachts clb 72, 10 yachts under $500,000 you can have today, how to swing a compass on a boat.

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

• Lion Fish in the Caribbean, What People find so Fascinating!

Captain Gordon Monsen of S/Y Liberte chartering in the Caribbean brought this to my attention. Gordon had a story about this pest of a fish and the damage it is creating in the Caribbean Sea. This is of great concern to all who love the Caribbean. Lion Fish in the Caribbean is making it to the dinner table.

Here is what Gordon wrote about:

Lion Fish Invasion In The Caribbean Is Getting Worse!

This Super Predator Is Threatening Our Caribbean Coral Reefs…

Indo-Pacific Lionfish are rapidly invading the waters of the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic. Due to their population explosion and aggressive behavior, Lionfish have the potential to become the most disastrous marine invasion in history. Thereby drastically reducing the abundance of coral reef fishes and leaving behind a devastated ecosystem.

This maroon-striped marauder with venomous spikes is rapidly multiplying in the Caribbean’s warm waters. Swallowing native species, stinging divers, and generally wreaking havoc on an ecologically delicate region.

Reefs Impacted

The Lionfish Invasion is not yet visibly affecting the Northern Caribbean reefs in the areas where we operate. However, the future is somewhat worrying if this problem is allowed to get totally out of hand. Every effort is being made to deal with this predator within the British Virgin Islands and surrounding Islands to keep the situation under control. Local fishermen are rewarded for catching Lionfish. And many local dive operations have been encouraged to catch any Lionfish they see on dives and kill the fish for a reward.

With ongoing conservation efforts throughout the Northern Caribbean, it may be possible to slow this invasion totally and save the reefs and fish from the Lionfish. Only a few Lionfish have been spotted. But the numbers do seem to be increasing slowly. Indeed it is evident that more effort needs to be made to slow the reproduction and spread of the Lionfish within these waters.

The Lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific region, have infiltrated their way into the Caribbean. Their introduction is believed to result from hurricanes and tank releases during the early 1990s.

They have been spotted along the Eastern seaboard spanning as far north as Rhode Island to as far south as Columbia. Protected by venomous spines, lionfish are voracious and effective predators. When hunting, they herd and corner their prey using their pectoral fins, then quickly strike and swallow their prey whole.

With few known natural predators, the lionfish poses a significant threat to coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean region by decreasing the survival of a wide range of native reef animals via both predation and competition. While native grouper may prey on lionfish, they have been overfished and are unlikely to significantly reduce the effects of invasive lionfish on coral reef communities.

Impact on swimmers | Lionfish in the Caribbean

They are not aggressive toward humans, and their sting is not fatal—no available estimates for the number of stung tourists. But marine officials say swimmers will be more at risk as the venomous species overtakes tropical waters along famous Caribbean beaches.

The slow-moving fish, which measures about 18 inches, is easy to snare. However, Lionfish swim too deep for divers to catch in nets. The standard method of dealing with invasive species.

This has forced researchers to figure out what will eat the menacing beauties in their new Caribbean home. They experiment with predators such as sharks, moray eels, and even humans.

Adventurous eaters describe the taste of Lionfish fillets as resembling halibut. But so far, they are a tough sell. Hungry sharks typically veer abruptly away when researchers try to hand-feed them a Lionfish.

One predator that will eat lionfish is the grouper, which is rare in the lionfish’s natural Southeast-Asian habitat. Scientists are pinning long-range hopes on establishing new ocean reserves, which will protect grouper and other lionfish predators from overfishing.

On occasion, researchers witnessed a Lionfish consume 20 small reef fish in 30 minutes. And it is not unusual to observe Lionfish consuming prey up to 2/3 of its length.

In Africa, the Nile Perch rendered more than 200 fish species extinct when it was introduced into Lake Victoria. The World Conservation Union calls it one of the 100 worst alien species invasions.

These Alien Fish Species invasions are common and frequently happen in freshwater, but there has never been a sizeable Predatory invasion in our Oceans before…

Lion Fish Spines

A Lionfish’s spines are venomous, and when they come into contact with humans, they can conflict extreme pain…

Containing the spread of the Lionfish is an uphill fight. Some people believe the best way to eradicate these fish would be to include them on the local Dinner menus. Diners can order Lionfish in the Caribbean for dinner. In addition, the more people want to eat them, the more the local fishing communities will target these invaders. Restaurants could advertise them as their conservation dish.

As lionfish in the Caribbean colonize more territory, they feed on grazing fish that keep seaweed from overwhelming coral reefs. These reefs are buffeted by climate change, pollution, and other environmental pressures.

From Captain Gordon Monsen of S/Y Liberte .

Additional information at NOAA Research

Contact us at 1-321-777-1707 or complete this form to discuss your vacation plans.

Donate Here and Help Us Achieve Our Mission

Donate Here

Lionfish hunting.

Lionfish hunting is the best way to control the overpopulation of this invasive species. That is both easy and difficult because there thousands of miles of coastlines throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean. Lionfish are virtually everywhere and are populating at an alarming rate.

Lionfish Hunting Challenges

When it comes to figuring out where to hunt lionfish, there are many challenges. With millions of miles of ocean it can be like finding a needle in a haystack! If you dive an area where you have never been the process of diving and surveying the area that takes up time and money. It’s not cheap to hunt lionfish. You have boat costs, fuel cost, trailer it around, registration, insurance, equipment, and other things that makes it costly. Trying to find the best locations can also be costly. You could spend the entire day going all over the place hunting lionfish and still come home empty handed.

The lionfish hunting you do in your area makes it easy to accumulate the best locations so you can spend your time and energy more efficiently. Hopefully, over time you can control the rate of population for your areas to give the reef fish a fighting chance. Unfortunately, if you take a few months off, the lionfish will be back in great force.

Lionfish Hunting Throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean

There are tens of thousands of locations for hunting lionfish but that doesn’t mean you will find them or actually be able to get to them. Some of the best locations for the biggest and most abundant lionfish population are at depths of 200 feet and deeper. Lionfish have been found at depths of 1,000 feet. Knowing the hottest GPS locations might not be that valuable if they have been dived so much that there are no more fish at that location.

“Best Lionfish Hunting Places”

Be careful when you read articles about the best lionfish hunting places. Everything changes over time including the blogs about “best lionfish hunting places.” One of the biggest challenges we find with the internet is the age of the articles that are floating around. Some have locations that no longer let you hunt lionfish. Some articles are more generic about certain countries or islands but give you no real specifics.

Current Lionfish Hunting Places

If you plan on going lionfish hunting in an area you have never been we suggest research the local dive shops where you plan to go. They usually have a great handle on the best place to hunt lionfish in their area. They also know if there are any issues about diving in those areas like water clarity, depths, obstacles, local ordinances, etc.

Dive shops also know a lot of the local divers and dive clubs. These clubs know the best place for hunting lionfish and regularly go out to control the population. They have years of research, locations, challenges, tips and so much more. Reach out to them and see if they are doing any coordinated dives while you are planning on being in town. Maybe some of their members would like to join you and your crew. Keep these connections and share your information for your area with them as well. Anything that encourages more dives to help fight against the lionfish invasion is a great thing.

Let Lionfish Central Help

Partner with us! Lionfish Central is a nonprofit that helps any and all efforts when it comes to controlling the overpopulation of this invasive species. If you are having a difficult time finding the best place for lionfish hunting let us know. We can reach out to dive shops and dive clubs for you.

We can also connect you with our partner travel agent that helps divers get great flights, places to stay, rental cars and more. We want to encourage people from all over the world to go and hunt lionfish. Let us know if you have connections for your area such as dive shops and dive clubs that are doing great things with the lionfish. We would like to market them for free and encourage more people to go to your area and join the fight.

If we can help you in any way let us know by clicking here . Let us give you some free marketing, advertise your lionfish efforts or anything else we can all work together to help control the invasive lionfish.

Author: scott

Lionfishpatrolapp.

The #1 Lionfish App in the world! Join the Lionfish Community - it's free on the App Stores. We are all things lionfish - app, games, podcast & more!

Privacy Overview

Lionfish Hunting Charters in Islamorada, FL

Thinking about booking a lionfish hunting charter.

Hello, and a warm welcome from all of us at Forever Young Charter Company! We're your gateway to the best ocean adventures in Islamorada, FL and throughout the wider Florida Keys. Sure, we've got the regular fishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling trips that you'd expect. But here's the kicker - we also offer something a bit more offbeat and engaging: Lionfish hunting.

So why not try something different? With our lionfish spearfishing charter trips, you don't just get an adrenaline rush; you get to contribute to a healthier marine environment as well. All this while enjoying the stunning beauty of the Florida Keys' underwater world. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Let's get you on board!

Rates for Our Lionfish Hunting Charters

The pricing for our lionfish hunting charters is designed to provide you with exceptional value for money. We offer competitive rates that reflect the comprehensive nature of our services, the top-quality equipment provided, and the guidance of our experienced crew.

Pricing details for various types of charters are available on our website. Rest assured, investing in a Forever Young lionfish hunting charter is investing in a remarkable and fulfilling adventure in the waters of Islamorada, FL.

For detailed pricing and custom trip information, please contact us directly at  1-305-680-8879 .

Why Choose Forever Young for Your Next Lionfish Hunting Charter

In the heart of the beautiful Florida Keys, Forever Young Charter Company stands as a beacon for thrill-seekers and ocean lovers. We offer you more than just an ordinary lionfish spearfishing charter; we invite you to partake in an unforgettable underwater saga. Our mission is not just to entertain, but to educate and inspire a sense of stewardship for our precious marine ecosystems.

At Forever Young Charter Company, we believe in creating exceptional experiences. We're not just offering you a lionfish hunting trip; we're inviting you to become part of an underwater adventure, designed to entertain, educate, and make a difference. Our expertise in spearfishing, scuba diving, and the local marine environment, combined with our passion for marine conservation, sets us apart. We pride ourselves on providing safe, enjoyable, and meaningful experiences in the water. This isn't just a business for us; it's our passion.

Commitment to Exceptional Experiences

At Forever Young Charter Company, our focus is on giving you more than just a lionfish hunting trip. It's about extending an invitation to a whole underwater adventure. A lionfish hunting charter with us isn't just a day out on the water, it's a chance to step into an underwater world and take part in a mission that's as thrilling as it is important. We stand out at Forever Young Charter Company because of our unique blend of skills and passions. Our crew members are skilled in spearfishing and scuba diving, and have a deep knowledge of the local marine environment. More importantly, we all share a passion for marine conservation and an unwavering dedication to ensuring your safety and enjoyment on every trip.

When you're ready for an adventure of a lifetime, a thrilling hunt mixed with a serene oceanic landscape, don't hesitate to call us at 1-305-680-8879. We are excited to offer you the unforgettable experience of lionfish hunting in the beautiful waters of Islamorada, FL.

Top Rated Lionfish Hunting Charter in Islamorada, FL

Looking for a top-rated lionfish hunting charter in Islamorada, FL? Look no further than Forever Young Charter Company! Our reputation is built on the satisfaction of our guests. We consistently receive high praises for our excellent services and unforgettable experiences.

Don't just take our word for it; our previous guests attest to the unique and exhilarating experience of lionfish hunting with Forever Young Charter Company. We've received glowing testimonials for our professional crew, the clarity of our instructions, the quality of our equipment, and of course, the immersive and exciting adventure of hunting lionfish.

Exceptional Crew and Unmatched Service

Our crew's professional demeanor and dedication to guest satisfaction have earned us numerous commendations. We're more than just a charter company; we're a team of passionate individuals who strive to provide the best underwater adventure to every guest. From detailed briefings and hands-on instructions to ensuring your comfort throughout the trip, we take care of everything, making your lionfish hunting experience seamless and exciting.

Another reason for our top ratings? The top-notch hunting equipment we provide. We believe that quality gear is essential for an enjoyable and successful lionfish hunt, and we never compromise on this. Our hunting gear, coupled with our emphasis on safety protocols, gives our guests confidence, enabling them to focus solely on the thrilling hunt.

The Thrill of Lionfish Hunting

So, when you're ready give us a call at 1-305-680-8879. We can't wait to welcome you aboard and offer you an unforgettable lionfish hunting experience in the gorgeous waters of Islamorada, FL.

Types of Lionfish Charters Available in the Florida Keys

At Forever Young Charter Company, we understand that not all lionfish hunters have the same preferences or experience levels. That's why we offer a variety of lionfish hunting charters, designed to meet a range of interests and skill sets.

Perfect for an exhilarating day out with friends or family, we have something for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned diver or a first-time hunter, our experienced crew will guide you every step of the way, ensuring you have a safe and memorable lionfish hunting adventure.

Private Charters

If you're inclined towards a personalized experience, our private charters might be the right choice for you. These charters are designed to provide a more intimate setting for your lionfish hunting experience. Maybe you're looking to enjoy some quiet time with a loved one or perhaps you want to hone your hunting skills with individual guidance. Either way, our private charters can offer you just that - an exclusive, custom-tailored lionfish hunting experience in the serene and beautiful waters of Islamorada, FL.

Remember, regardless of your choice of charter, our experienced crew will be there with you every step of the way, guiding you, and ensuring that your lionfish hunting adventure is a safe and memorable one.

Testimonials From Our Happy Lionfish Hunting Guests

We've had the pleasure of introducing many guests to the thrill of lionfish hunting. And their words of appreciation, featured on our testimonials page, serve as a testament to the quality of our services. Hearing about their experiences will give you a better understanding of what to expect when you choose Forever Young for your lionfish hunting trip.

Common FAQs About Lionfish Hunting

Whether you're curious about the danger posed by lionfish, the best hunting techniques, or the right way to handle a catch, we have answers for you. Check out our FAQs section where we address the most common questions about lionfish hunting. If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to us. We're here to ensure your lionfish hunting experience is as enjoyable as possible.

What Is Lionfish Hunting?

Lionfish hunting is an underwater activity where divers hunt and capture lionfish, an invasive species that is harmful to native marine life in the Florida Keys.

Do I Need Experience To Go On a Lionfish Hunting Charter?

While experience can be helpful, it's not a requirement. At Forever Young Charter Company, we welcome both beginners and experienced divers.

Is It Safe To Hunt Lionfish?

Yes, it is safe as long as you follow the guidelines provided by our experienced crew. We also provide all the necessary safety equipment and instructions.

What Equipment Do I Need For Lionfish Hunting?

We provide all the necessary equipment including specialized spear guns, puncture-resistant gloves, and diving gear.

Can I Bring My Own Equipment?

Yes, you can bring your own equipment, but it must be approved by our staff to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Do I Need A License To Hunt Lionfish?

No, you do not need a special license to hunt lionfish on our charter trips.

What Is The Duration Of a Lionfish Hunting Trip?

Typically, our lionfish hunting charters last around 4-6 hours, but this can vary depending on the specific charter.

What Should I Bring With Me On The Charter?

We recommend bringing sunscreen, a hat, a swimsuit, towels, and any personal items you might need. We provide all the hunting and safety gear.

Are There Certain Times Of The Year That Are Best For Lionfish Hunting?

Lionfish hunting can be done year-round in the Florida Keys, thanks to the region's warm, tropical climate.

Are There Food And Drinks On The Boat?

Yes, we provide snacks and refreshments on all of our charter trips.

What's Included in Our Lionfish Hunting Charter?

At Forever Young Charter Company, our lionfish hunting charters aren't just trips, they're fully-packed experiences. We go the extra mile to make sure you have everything you need for an adventurous and fulfilling day out in the waters of Islamorada, FL.

From the moment you step aboard, our team of professional guides and experienced crew members are there to help you get the most out of your trip. With pre-trip briefings to get you geared up, and high-quality hunting equipment for a seamless experience, we've got you covered. But that's not all - let's dive into what else our charter includes!

Pre-Trip Briefings

Every lionfish hunting trip starts with a detailed briefing. We believe in empowering our guests with knowledge, so you'll learn about safety precautions, hunting techniques, and what to expect out there in the water. This way, you start your adventure feeling confident and well-informed.

Professional-Grade Hunting Equipment

Don't worry about bringing your own gear; we've got that covered! Our charters come equipped with professional-grade lionfish hunting equipment. This includes specially designed spear guns and puncture-resistant gloves that ensure you can hunt effectively and safely. It's all about making your experience as seamless as possible.

Guidance From an Experienced Crew

Our crew isn't just there to steer the boat; they're part of your lionfish hunting adventure. Experienced in the waters of Islamorada and passionate about what they do, they're there to share their knowledge, offer tips and help make your trip both exciting and rewarding. You're in safe and capable hands with the Forever Young team!

And Much More...

From the breathtaking views of the Florida Keys to the thrill of the lionfish hunt, our charters pack in so much more than you might expect. You're not just signing up for a trip, you're embarking on a memorable adventure, one that blends excitement, education, and a unique experience into one incredible package.

So why wait? Get in touch with us at Forever Young Charter Company and discover what makes our lionfish hunting charters truly stand out!

Ready for an Exciting Day In the Florida Keys?

Who says you can't combine relaxation with a dash of excitement? At Forever Young Charter Company, we believe in striking the perfect balance. Our lionfish hunting charters in the Florida Keys offer you a unique opportunity to unwind amidst the soothing, turquoise waters, while also partaking in an exhilarating hunting experience. It's not just about the thrill of the hunt, but also about safeguarding our precious marine ecosystem from the invasive lionfish. And the best part? You get to do all of this in the gorgeous setting of Islamorada, FL.

The Unique Appeal of Lionfish Hunting

Imagine this: you're swimming through crystal clear waters, surrounded by vibrant coral reefs, with the Florida sun casting ethereal patterns all around you. Now add to this the thrill of hunting lionfish - creatures known for their striking looks but infamous for their harmful impact on local fish populations. Sounds like quite the day, doesn't it? That's precisely what our lionfish hunting charters offer - a relaxing yet invigorating day out, bursting with the perfect mix of sport, nature, and conservation.

Why Lionfish Hunting Matters

By joining our lionfish hunting charters, you're not just signing up for an exciting adventure. You're also playing a vital role in protecting the marine biodiversity of the Florida Keys. Each lionfish you hunt helps to restore the balance of our delicate underwater ecosystems. So, whether you're an experienced diver or a first-timer, come aboard and make a difference while having the time of your life. It's time for some unforgettable fun in the sun with Forever Young Charter Company!

Why Choose Islamorada, FL for a Lionfish Hunting Charter?

You're probably wondering, "Why Islamorada, FL for lionfish hunting?" Well, the answer is pretty straightforward - Islamorada isn't called the 'Sport Fishing Capital of the World' just for show. This place is a goldmine for a diverse range of marine activities, lionfish hunting included. The clear, warm waters of Islamorada are teeming with lionfish, making it a prime spot for hunters who are up for a thrilling yet rewarding adventure.

But the appeal of Islamorada, FL doesn't stop at the abundance of lionfish. It's also about the overall experience. Imagine diving into crystal clear waters, being surrounded by vibrant marine life, and hunting in a breathtaking underwater landscape. That's the kind of unique, unforgettable experience you get when you choose Islamorada for your lionfish hunting charter. Plus, with Forever Young Charter Company, you can expect professional guidance, top-notch safety measures, and a friendly crew that makes the trip even more enjoyable.

A Diverse Marine Ecosystem Awaits You

Yet, lionfish aren't the only spectacle to see in these waters. The marine biodiversity here is absolutely breathtaking. From vibrant coral reefs to an array of colorful fish species, the underwater world of Islamorada is an adventurer's paradise.

Coupled with our high-quality charter services, these natural resources turn Islamorada into a dream destination for lionfish hunting. Whether you're a seasoned diver or someone trying lionfish hunting for the first time, Islamorada, FL offers an unparalleled experience. Not only will you be enthralled by the hunt, but you'll also be in awe of the sheer beauty and diversity of life beneath the waves.

Experience the Thrill in the Sportfishing Capital of the World

Did you know Islamorada, located smack dab in the heart of the Florida Keys, is often called the 'Sportfishing Capital of the World'? And for good reason! But what many might not know is that it's also a hotspot for lionfish, those beautifully mesmerizing yet harmful invaders of our reefs. This makes Islamorada a go-to place for an exhilarating lionfish hunting charter. Just picture this: You're in these warm, crystal-clear waters, geared up and spear at the ready, eyes peeled for your aquatic quarry. It's a different kind of thrill, isn't it?

But here's the coolest part - it's not only about the heart-pounding action. When you dive in and hunt these lionfish, you're actually doing your bit to preserve our vibrant marine ecosystem. Every lionfish you spear is one less threat to our local reefs. So, by joining a lionfish hunting charter with Forever Young, you're not just signing up for a thrill ride - you're becoming an active participant in marine conservation. Now, how's that for an unforgettable dive experience?

Lionfish Hunting Locations Near Islamorada, FL

Around here in Islamorada, we're privileged to have a diverse range of lionfish hunting locations, each packed to the gills with these beautiful but invasive creatures. The waters around Islamorada are teeming with lionfish, offering diverse hunting locations. These range from shallow reefs perfect for novice hunters to deeper waters that provide a thrilling challenge for the more experienced. Each location presents a unique marine landscape, offering not just an exciting hunt but also a breathtaking underwater experience.

Our charters venture to some of the most vibrant lionfish hunting spots near Islamorada, FL, providing you an up-close and personal encounter with the beautiful, yet destructive, lionfish. Experience the joy of hunting amidst the stunning underwater scenery that the Florida Keys are famous for.

Finding the Perfect Spot: Our Top Lionfish Hunting Locations

One of the best things about our charters is that we're always exploring the most vibrant lionfish hunting spots near Islamorada, FL. We work closely with local marine biologists and rely on our extensive experience to locate the densest populations of lionfish. This means you get an up-close and personal encounter with these stunning creatures. And remember, every lionfish you catch is a step towards preserving the native marine life of the Florida Keys.

The Experience: More Than Just a Hunt

Of course, it's not just about the hunt. We also want you to enjoy the spectacular underwater scenery that the Florida Keys are famous for. The crystal-clear waters, the diverse marine life, the stunning coral formations - it's all part of the package when you join our lionfish hunting charter. So come along and experience the joy of hunting lionfish while immersing yourself in one of the most beautiful underwater landscapes in the world.

Lionfish Hunting Trips in Islamorada, FL

Planning a trip to the Florida Keys? How about adding a thrilling, unique activity to your itinerary that you won't forget? At Forever Young Charter Company, we offer something truly special – lionfish spearfishing trips. Our experienced crew, led by the seasoned Tony Young, ensures that you have an exhilarating and safe hunting experience in the breathtaking waters of Islamorada, FL.

Lionfish hunting is much more than just an adventure. It's a chance to contribute to the conservation of the rich marine biodiversity of the Florida Keys. These trips are designed to combine the excitement of sport with an awareness of environmental responsibility. By participating, you aren't just enjoying yourself, but also helping control the population of an invasive species that poses a threat to our underwater ecosystems. We ensure that you learn the safe and effective techniques of lionfish hunting, making this trip an immersive, hands-on experience that leaves you with some unforgettable memories.

Don't worry if you've never even worn a pair of flippers before; we've got you covered! We welcome everyone aboard, regardless of your level of diving or hunting experience. On our lionfish hunting trips, you get a hands-on experience, learning the ins and outs of safe and effective lionfish hunting techniques right there in the waters.

The Significance of Lionfish Spearfishing Hunts

But it's not just about the hunt. We make sure you understand the 'why' behind what you're doing. We'll tell you all about the lionfish issue and why hunting them is so important for our marine ecosystems. Whether you're a seasoned hunter or a first-time diver, our charters promise a fulfilling adventure that transcends the thrill of the hunt, leaving you with a sense of accomplishment and a greater appreciation for our oceans.

Your Safety Is Our Priority: A Look at Our Procedures and Lionfish Hunting Equipment

Safety is a big deal for us at Forever Young. We want you to have a blast hunting lionfish, but we also want to make sure you're doing it safely. That's why every one of our lionfish hunting charters starts off with a comprehensive safety briefing. You'll learn about the potential hazards and how to avoid them, and our professional crew will walk you through the steps to take in case of an emergency.

Prepared for Every Scenario

We are serious about your safety on our trips. Our crew members are all trained to respond effectively to emergencies, and they know the drill like the back of their hand. On top of that, our charter boats are kitted out with all the necessary first aid and safety gear. We hope we never have to use them, but they're there just in case. And remember, we're not just keeping you safe, we're protecting the marine life too. After all, a good hunter respects their environment.

Top-Notch Lionfish Spearfishing Equipment

We're also committed to giving you the best hunting experience, and that includes providing top-quality lionfish hunting equipment. Think specially-designed spear guns that deliver precision and power, and puncture-resistant gloves that protect your hands while you handle the catch. Every piece of our equipment is designed to optimize your hunting experience, while maintaining the highest safety standards. And you can rest easy knowing that all our gear is professionally maintained, because the last thing you need is equipment trouble spoiling your adventure. Ready to gear up and dive into the action? We're ready to take you on the lionfish hunting adventure of a lifetime.

Top-Rated Lionfish Hunting in Islamorada

At Forever Young Charter Company, we're excited to have earned a reputation as a top pick for lionfish hunting trips here in Islamorada and across the Florida Keys. We think this comes down to a mix of a few key things. First off, we're sticklers for safety. We're also completely committed to making sure our guests have a great time. And, of course, we're serious about doing our part to protect the marine environment.

Jump on one of our charters, and you'll quickly see what sets us apart. We're all about providing an underwater adventure that goes above and beyond. We'll take you to the best hunting spots, where you'll experience the rush of hunting lionfish firsthand. So, ready to see for yourself why we're the number one choice for lionfish hunting in Islamorada, FL?

Doing Our Part for the Marine Ecosystem

Lionfish hunting isn't just about the thrill—it's also about conservation. By hunting lionfish, we help control their population and protect local marine life. So when you choose a lionfish hunting trip with Forever Young Charter Company, you're not just choosing an adventure—you're choosing to make a difference.

Book Your Unforgettable Lionfish Hunting Adventure Today!

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to hunt lionfish in the stunning waters around Islamorada, FL? Here at Forever Young Charter Company, we're all set to make that dream come true for you. It's not just about the thrill of the hunt; it's also about the satisfaction you get knowing you're playing a part in protecting our beautiful marine ecosystem.

Don't wait! Book your charter today and gear up for an experience unlike any other. Dive into the pristine waters of the Florida Keys, get your heart racing with the excitement of the hunt, and feel good about making a difference in preserving our marine life.

So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call at 1-305-680-8879 to book your lionfish hunting trip today. With Forever Young, you're not just signing up for an adventure - you're joining a community committed to the conservation of our precious marine environment. Join us today!

#1 Fishing and Diving Charter in Islamorada, FL

305-680-8879, forever young charter company.

Areas We Serve

Charter Services

Trip information, islamorada cruises, key west charters, local client reviews, plan your trip.

Islamorada Fishing and Diving Charter Details

What is a lionfish?

The lionfish is a carnivorous fish native to the indo-pacific that is now an invasive species in the atlantic ..

The lionfish, a longstanding showstopper in home aquariums, is a flourishing invasive species in U.S. Southeast and Caribbean coastal waters. This invasive species has the potential to harm reef ecosystems because it is a top predator that competes for food and space with overfished native stocks such as snapper and grouper. Scientists fear that lionfish will also kill off helpful species such as algae-eating parrotfish, allowing seaweed to overtake the reefs. In the U.S., the lionfish population is continuing to grow and increase its range. This is largely because lionfish have no known predators and reproduce all year long; a mature female releases roughly two million eggs a year.

Common Names: lionfish, zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish, red lionfish, butterfly cod, ornate butterfly-cod, peacock lionfish, red firefish, scorpion volitans, devil firefish

Scientific Name: Pterois volitans (red lionfish) and Pterois miles (devil firefish)

Identification: Lionfish have distinctive brown or maroon, and white stripes or bands covering the head and body. They have fleshy tentacles above their eyes and below the mouth; fan-like pectoral fins; long, separated dorsal spines; 13 dorsal spines; 10-11 dorsal soft rays; 3 anal spines; and 6-7 anal soft rays. An adult lionfish can grow as large as 18 inches, while juveniles may be as small as 1 inch or less. Lionfish have cycloid scales (fish scales that are oval or elliptical in shape with a smooth edge).

A large group of invasive lionfish near St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, filmed during a Caribbean coral reef mapping expedition in April, 2015. During the 2015 Caribbean mapping expedition, 135 lionfish were spotted during a total of 26 dives. Lionfish were spotted as deep as 768 feet . Learn more about this mission .

Native Range: The South Pacific and Indian Oceans (i.e., the Indo-Pacific region). The range of the lionfish covers a very large area from western Australia and Malaysia east to French Polynesia and the United Kingdom's Pitcairn Islands, north to southern Japan and southern Korea and south to Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia and the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand. In between, the species is found throughout Micronesia.

The cycloid scales of lionfish. In this type of scale, the anterior part of each scale is usually overlapped by the posterior portion of the scale in front of it, giving the fish greater flexibility than fishes with other types of scales. There are four main kinds of scales (placoid, cosmoid, cycloid and ctenoid, and ganoid,) and numerous variations of each kind.

Non-native Range: Lionfish have been reported along the southeastern United States coast from Florida to North Carolina. Juvenile lionfish have been collected in waters off Long Island, New York, and Bermuda. Lionfish are a popular marine ornamental fish and were possibly intentionally released into the Atlantic. The first lionfish was reported in South Florida waters in 1985 with many additional sightings occurring until they were documented as established in the early 2000s.

Habitat: Lionfish are found in mostly all marine habitat types found in warm marine waters of the tropics. Lionfish have been found in water depths from 1 to 300 feet on hard bottom, mangrove, seagrass, coral, and artificial reefs (like shipwrecks).

Ecological Role: Lionfish are slow-moving and conspicuous, so they must rely on their unusual coloration and fins to discourage would-be predators from eating them. Lionfish are now one of the top predators in many coral reef environments of the Atlantic. Lionfish consume over 50 species of fish including some economically and ecologically important species. Lionfish are active hunters who ambush their prey by using their outstretched, fan-like pectoral fins to slowly pursue and "corner" them.

Behavior: Lionfish are thought to be nocturnal hunters, but they have been found with full stomachs during the day in the Atlantic. They move about by slowly undulating the soft rays of the dorsal and anal fins. During the day, they sometimes retreat to ledges and crevices among the rocks and corals. Although in the Atlantic, lionfish are often seen moving about during the day, both alone and in small groups.

Lionfish are native to the warm, tropical waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans (i.e., the Indo-Pacific region), including the Red Sea. Their native range is shown in orange on the map.

Economic Importance: Although lionfish have been used as a food source in their native range, economically, they are far more important in the aquarium trade. Lionfish are very popular and common aquarium fish, especially in the U.S.

Conservation Status: Lionfish are not currently listed as threatened or endangered in their native range. However, the increase in pollution in coral reefs may negatively affect the lionfish's primary food sources (crustaceans and fish). If lionfish are unable to adapt to declines in their prey species, their numbers may decrease.

Special Precautions: The spines of this species deliver a venomous sting that can last for days and cause extreme pain, sweating, respiratory distress, and even paralysis. Lionfish venom glands are located within two grooves of the spine. The venom is a combination of protein, a neuromuscular toxin and a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine (pronunciation: ah-see-toe-coe'-lean). After the spine punctures the skin, the venom enters the wound when exposed to the venom glands within the grooves of the spine. If you are stung by a lionfish, seek medical attention immediately.

Search Our Facts

More information.

• What is an invasive species? (Video)
• Why are lionfish a growing problem in the Atlantic Ocean?
• Filleting the Lion
• The Lionfish Invasion (NOS Education)
• Lionfish sightings map, U.S. Geological Survey
• Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force

Biological Classification

• Kingdom – Animalia (all the animals)
• Phylum – Chordata (animals with a spinal cord)
• Subphylum – Vertebrata (animals with backbones)
• Class – Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
• Order – Scorpaeniformes (scorpion fishes and sculpins)
• Family – Scorpaenidae (firefishes, goblinfishes, rockfishes, and scorpionfishes)
• Genus – Pterois ( lionfishes, turkeyfishes, and zebrafishes)
• Species – volitans (meaning volatile or poisonous)

Last updated: 01/20/23 Author: NOAA How to cite this article

• Why are Lionfish a Problem?
• Lionfish FAQ
• 10 Common Lionfish Myths
• Little Known Lionfish Facts
• Why We Hunt Lionfish
• How to safely hunt lionfish
• Current Lionfish Size Records
• Hunt Friendly Dive Centers
• Lionfish Sting First Aid
• Lionfish Tracking Map
• What Does It Taste Like?
• Cleaning & Preparing Lionfish
• Our Favorite Lionfish Recipes
• Restaurants Serving Lionfish

Select Page

How to start lionfish hunting

Posted by Andy Lowe | | Education | 8 |

lionfish on the reef

Beginners guide to lionfish hunting

So you’ve read about lionfish, you understand what a problem they are , and lionfish hunting sounds like a lot of fun but how do you  start lionfish hunting? What gear do you need to get, what dive preparations and certification do you need, and how do you actually hunt lionfish? Well, keep reading, because we’ve got you covered on all the basics to get you out hunting lionfish successfully!

Do I need to be a scuba diver to hunt lionfish?

It helps a lot to be a certified scuba diver. You can certainly still hunt lionfish while freediving, but most lionfish hunting is done on scuba for several reasons. One is that the containers to put lionfish in create a bit of drag and it’s not practical to bring one with you when freediving. Also lionfish prefer habitat on the very bottom, often up under ledges. While lionfish can be found in any depth from 5 feet of water down to a thousand feet, the shallower areas tend to get hunted more frequently so the more successful lionfish hunts are usually a little deeper. It is recommended that you be an advanced or at least experienced diver before you begin lionfish hunting because there are some extra challenges involved like carrying more gear, having your focus taken by the hunt, and the risk of a sting.

lionfish hunting package

What equipment do I need to hunt lionfish?

Once you’ve decided whether you will be freediving or on scuba, head over to our friends at   LionfishHunting.com and pick up the lionfish hunting gear that you will need. They have discounted package deals that will cover all of your basic lionfish hunting equipment needs. The main items you will need are a polespear or sling type lionfish spear, a lionfish containment unit like the Zookeeper so that you don’t need to handle the lionfish ( read this article to learn everything about the Zookeeper lionfish container ), and we also recommend a pair of puncture proof gloves along with a reusable heat pack in the event of a lionfish sting.

Where do I find lionfish?

Lionfish can be found almost anywhere from the coast of North Carolina all the way down to South America. They are incredibly tolerant of fresh water which allows them to live far up rivers and can be found in any depth. We’ve assembled a list of our Top 9 Lionfish Hunting Tips here that will give you some great ideas of where and when to make your lionfish hunts.

How do I spear the lionfish?

Because they have no real predators , lionfish will usually let a diver get very close. Most lionfish hunters use short pole spears and only need to shoot the lionfish from 6 inches to a foot away. It’s best to target the head so that the meat of the relatively small lionfish is not damaged. It also helps to make a quartering shot aimed from tail toward head so that the lionfish can be inserted head first into the container, otherwise it will splay it’s fins out and make shoving it into the Zookeeper much more difficult. Keep in mind that lionfish are not dumb, and once a diver has missed a shot on one it has been ‘educated’ and will remember to fear divers after that.

Can I make a living lionfish hunting?

Some people do! We are currently getting between $5 and $6 a pound for whole lionfish in Florida, so a commercial spearfisherman out getting 100 pounds of lionfish a day is making money. Remember though that there are quite a few expenses such as dive equipment, tank fills, and most significantly the costs of boat ownership and fuel. Location and access to good hunting grounds are key. For many of us, because Florida has made it easy to hunt and sell lionfish , we use our lionfish sales as a way to cover our diving expenses while having a great time.

Another option to learn about lionfish hunting is to contact one of the Non-Profit groups like Ennds.org that arrange regular trips to educate and train new lionfish hunters. They will teach you how and loan you the gear you need to get started.

We hope this helps, and please comment below with any suggestions for new lionfish hunters that you have to offer.

Share this:

About the author.

Andy Lowe is a Marine Surveyor, former US Navy Diver and Submariner, 25 year PADI Dive Instructor, USCG 100 ton Captain, Inventor & entrepreneur, manufacturer, ABYC Certified Marine Technician and an avid hunter of lionfish. www.BestMarineSurveyor.com

Related Posts

• lionfish visit the Georgia aquarium

Is that lionfish a Pterois Miles or Pterois Volitans?

FWC approves plan to allow one extra lobster for 10 lionfish during Florida mini-season

Our Favorite Lionfish Pictures from Across the Internet

Nice job, Andy! One thing though…I would like to see you add contact info for DAN, Divers Alert Network. Their emergency hotline: 1-919-684-9111

Since lionfish stings may also involve a diver-related issue such as an unplanned rapid ascent or skipped safety stop (both not recommended), DAN would be a better choice for us.

How easy is it for non-Americans to go lion fish hunting? And how easy is it for a Canadian specifically? Is there a Visa or something one could get?

In most places it is very easy for visitors to hunt lionfish. In Florida there are no restrictions, no license needed, no minimum size or bag limits. We have a list of dive operators around the Caribbean who will let tourists hunt lionfish with them here: https://lionfish.co/where-to-hunt-lionfish/ Because they are a problematic invasive species, most places will be encouraging you to hunt the lionfish with very few impediments. The few places that don’t allow it are mostly the places that don’t allow any type of spearfishing activity.

This is ambiguous. Do you mean to say that one MUST go with a guide to be allowed to hunt lionfish in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico)?

I don’t believe that Puerto Rico has any restrictions on hunting lionfish other than in their protected areas. Some locations around the Caribbean require you to take a course our dive with a guide, but not PR.

How old do you have to be to go lionfish spearing?

Hello, There is no age limit. However, it is best done on scuba and we usually recommend an Advanced certification and a level of experience so that you are not distracted by the requirements of hunting while diving.

hello i am doing a project where i make up a idea to get rid of lionfish and need to collaborate and ask someone else questions so if you would be willing to answer here are my questions.

1. how did they get to Florida 2. can anyone fish them or do you need a certification 3. what is the best way to get them 4. what can local people do to stop the invasion 5. how are they hurting the environment 6. wat type of boat do we need 7. are they hard to get 8. where is the best place to get them 9. can u still get them if the water is not clear 10. do you need oxygen or is it a free dive

THANK YOU!!!!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

• How to Hunt Lionfish Safely and Responsibly in Curaçao - […] carefully and slowly. Target the lionfish and aim for a precise shot to the head, just behind the gill…

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Buy Lionfish Hunting gear

Recent Posts

• St. Vincent and the Grenadines take a bite out of Lionfish
• Invasive lionfish have now reached brazil
• Lionfish interest at DEMA ’19
• Better late than never, Cyprus begins culling lionfish

Recent Comments

• How to Hunt Lionfish Safely and Responsibly in Curaçao on How to start lionfish hunting
• Eating The Invasive Lionfish Before It’s Too Late - Buying Seafood on What Does Lionfish Taste Like?
• manjil designs on Lionfish jewelry
• Lionfish, Lobster and Conch - West Bay has it all - on Eating Lionfish
• DEVYN on Contact Us
• December 2021
• February 2020
• November 2019
• October 2019
• February 2019
• August 2018
• November 2017
• December 2016
• September 2016
• February 2016
• December 2013
• September 2013
• August 2013
• February 2013
• January 2013
• The Problem
• The Solution
• Uncategorized
• Entries feed
• Comments feed
• WordPress.org

Please use a modern browser to view this website. Some elements might not work as expected when using Internet Explorer.

• Landing Page
• Luxury Yacht Vacation Types
• Corporate Yacht Charter
• Tailor Made Vacations
• Luxury Exploration Vacations
• View All 3569
• Motor Yachts
• Sailing Yachts
• Classic Yachts
• Catamaran Yachts
• Filter By Destination
• More Filters
• Latest Reviews
• Charter Special Offers
• Destination Guides
• Inspiration & Features
• Mediterranean Charter Yachts
• France Charter Yachts
• Italy Charter Yachts
• Croatia Charter Yachts
• Greece Charter Yachts
• Turkey Charter Yachts
• Bahamas Charter Yachts
• Caribbean Charter Yachts
• Australia Charter Yachts
• Thailand Charter Yachts
• Dubai Charter Yachts
• Destination News
• New To Fleet
• Charter Fleet Updates
• Special Offers
• Industry News
• Yacht Shows
• Corporate Charter
• Finding a Yacht Broker
• Charter Preferences
• Questions & Answers
• Add my yacht

LIONFISH Interior & Exterior Photos

24.4m  /  80'1 | lazzara | 2001.

• Amenities & Toys

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

SIMILAR LUXURY YACHTS FOR CHARTER

Here are a selection of superyachts which are similar to Lionfish yacht which are believed to be available for charter. To view all similar luxury charter yachts click on the button below.

Acqua Alberti

25m | Sunseeker

from $44,500 p/week

24m | Sunseeker

from $41,000 p/week ♦︎

Always Barefoot

24m | Lazzara

from $28,500 p/week

24m | Ferretti Yachts

from $30,000 p/week ♦︎

23m | Lazzara

from $21,000 p/week

24m | Posillipo

from $34,000 p/week ♦︎

24m | Azimut

from $32,000 p/week

25m | Custom

from $61,120 p/week

22m | Spertini Alalunga

from $21,000 p/week ♦︎

from $35,000 p/week

25m | Versilcraft

from $28,000 p/week ♦︎

BLUEQUEST II

from $35,000 p/week ♦︎

As Featured In

The YachtCharterFleet Difference

YachtCharterFleet makes it easy to find the yacht charter vacation that is right for you. We combine thousands of yacht listings with local destination information, sample itineraries and experiences to deliver the world's most comprehensive yacht charter website.

San Francisco

• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Follow us on Instagram
• Find us on LinkedIn
• Add My Yacht
• Affiliates & Partners

Popular Destinations & Events

• St Tropez Yacht Charter
• Monaco Yacht Charter
• St Barts Yacht Charter
• Greece Yacht Charter
• Mykonos Yacht Charter
• Caribbean Yacht Charter

Featured Charter Yachts

• Maltese Falcon Yacht Charter
• Wheels Yacht Charter
• Victorious Yacht Charter
• Andrea Yacht Charter
• Titania Yacht Charter
• Ahpo Yacht Charter

Receive our latest offers, trends and stories direct to your inbox.

Please enter a valid e-mail.

Thanks for subscribing.

Search for Yachts, Destinations, Events, News... everything related to Luxury Yachts for Charter.

Yachts in your shortlist

Lionfish: the Mediterranean invasion of an untouchable and enigmatic predator

Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Ecology, Nottingham Trent University

Senior Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University

Disclosure statement

Louise Gentle works for Nottingham Trent University

Nicholas Ray works for Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham Trent University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

View all partners

The lionfish is a stunning, mesmerising and highly adorned creature that drifts slowly through coral reefs, seemingly unaware of its natural beauty. But it is quickly causing devastation and destruction to the nature it inhabits, decimating biodiversity in the marine environment.

The lionfish hails from the warm, marine waters of the South Pacific and Indian oceans. Here it feeds on a huge variety of prey including smaller fish, molluscs and invertebrates, sometimes blowing water to disorient its prey before consuming them.

The most noticeable feature of the lionfish is the line of spines that runs along the length of its body, with more fanning out from the fins. These spines are striped, brown and white, providing a warning colouration to indicate that they are highly venomous, even to humans. This results in few natural predators, with the exception of moray eels and sharks .

In their natural habitat, lionfish are part of a marine ecosystem that has evolved to interact in harmony, with each species playing a vital role. So, how has the lionfish gradually become responsible for creating havoc across the oceans?

Unfortunately, the lionfish has established populations off south-eastern USA , in the Caribbean and more recently, the Mediterranean . Here, they have essentially invaded the area, preying voraciously on native fish species, increasing rapidly in abundance, and expanding over a vast range.

For example, the first lionfish were reported near Florida in 1985 but by 2001 they had become established across the eastern seaboard of the USA, with densities of more than 100 fish per hectare . Lionfish now outnumber native fish across many sites, and in parts of the western Atlantic are over four times as abundant as they are in their native area .

It is not known exactly how lionfish populations first colonised these locations, but theories include the intentional release from the aquatic trade, and unintentional release through Hurricane Andrew washing captive specimens into the sea, or via boat ballast tanks accidentally containing specimens .

After arriving in a new part of the sea, the lionfish reproduces at an astonishing and alarming rate, capable of spawning every two to three days, all year round . The eggs are released into open water where they hatch and drift in the plankton, before settling onto a reef.

This means there are potentially millions of eggs hitching a ride on the ocean currents for around a month at a time, giving lionfish huge potential to spread fast and wide across a continually moving body of water.

Alongside their voracious appetite – their stomach can expand up to 30 times its size – the local prey are unfamiliar with this new predator, making the new environment an ideal hunting ground. The indirect effects of this include a reduction in prey for the native predators, causing a major imbalance of the ecosystem.

The lionfish also has no known natural predators outside of its native range to keep its populations in check. Even predators of eggs and juvenile lionfish across the globe currently remain unknown.

We are left with the only true predator being humans – and the need to cull lionfish is becoming an urgent priority for conservation. There have been many calls from both nature and economic groups, stating that targeted culling of this invasive species is the only effective way to reduce their numbers.

Hunting the hunter

There are several ways this can happen. Firstly, recreational scuba divers have been trying to keep numbers in check by culling them. But the venomous nature of lionfish means that divers need to be specially trained. Consequently, groups such as the Fraternal Order Of Lionfish Slayers (FOOLS) have been set up to maintain care for divers who can help reduce the amount of lionfish safely.

Some divers are trialling the use of traps to aid safer and more rapid culling of larger numbers. In the Caribbean, the answer to culling has come from researchers at Robots In Service of the Environment (RSE) with their “ Lionfish Terminator ”.

This robotic zapper has been developed in an attempt to cull lionfish remotely. While there is still a long way to go in terms of full ocean deployment, this could restore the native balance of the ecosystem.

However, another way to control lionfish numbers is to eat them. They are quickly becoming a delicacy on restaurant menus , and have also found their way onto supermarket shelves. Hopefully this opportunistic demand will help to reduce their numbers drastically – but even this could be too little too late.

Eventually, as with all invasive species, the lionfish will find its functional niche and the balance of the ecosystem will be restored. But the current invasion into the Mediterranean has sent a ripple through the natural dynamics of predators and prey, with serious effects on local fisheries and tourism.

We cannot simply wait for balance to be restored. We need to restore the health of the regional marine ecosystems and eradicate such a visually alluring threat before the inevitable apocalyptic destruction.

• Invasive species
• Marine ecosystems
• Marine life
• Marine biology
• Marine biodiversity

School of Social Sciences – Public Policy and International Relations opportunities

Partner, Senior Talent Acquisition

Deputy Editor - Technology

Sydney Horizon Educators (Identified)

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Student Life)

• Visitor Centers & Exhibits
• Things to Do
• Get into Your Sanctuary Day
• Wildlife Viewing
• Latest News
• Press Releases
• Earth Is Blue
• Earth is Blue Magazine
• Stories from the Blue
• Notes From the Field
• Federal Register Notices
• Maritime Heritage
• Socioeconomics
• Small Boat Program
• Get Involved

Photos & Videos

• Virtual Dives
• Sanctuaries Live
• Policy & Planning
• Publications
• Strategic Plan
• Work For Us

Indo-Pacific Lionfish

• Photos & Videos

Notes from the Field

The population explosion of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish ( Pterois volitans and Pterois miles ) in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean is a serious threat to coral reefs, with potential long-term consequences for native fish communities, habitats and entire ecosystems. Lionfish are well-known for their venomous spines, rapid colonization rate and generalist preferences for both habitat and diet. Invasive lionfish are capable of causing significant impacts to biodiversity and recovery of coral reefs, a result of their high densities and predation rates on native fish communities. Four national marine sanctuaries have been invaded by lionfish – Gray's Reef , Florida Keys , Flower Garden Banks and Monitor .

NOAA and its partners have  developed and released designs  for new lionfish traps that could provide the first realistic means of controlling invasive deep-water lionfish populations and support the development of a lionfish fishery. Learn more about the lionfish traps .

How to build a lionfish trap

This video is a step-by-step guide on how to build a lionfish purse trap. This trap is a baitless system: since lionfish are naturally attracted to structure, they congregate within the perimeter of the open trap. When the trap is pulled closed from the surface, the lionfish are trapped. Download HD Video

To obtain authorization for the use of these devices in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico or South Atlantic, please contact: NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Sustainable Fisheries Division 263 13th Ave. South St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-824-5305

To share your experience with the trap, please email: Dr. Steve Gittings, Chief Scientist NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries [email protected]

The following resources can provide additional information on this issue.

Going Deep For Lionfish: Designs for Two New Traps for Capturing Lionfish in Deep Water

Going Deep For Lionfish: Designs for Two New Traps for Capturing Lionfish in Deep Water Factsheet (PDF)

Lionfish by the numbers infographic

NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries Lionfish Response Plan was developed in 2015 with the goal to minimize ecosystem degradation in affected sanctuaries. The plan recommends science, service, and stewardship activities for the affected sanctuaries.

Since 1994, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) has maintained an on-line educational section on non-native species as well as an on-line exotic species reporting page.  Divers are encouraged to submit any sightings of non-native species via this sightings reporting form.  Since 2006, REEF has been working in close partnership with government agencies and partners throughout the region to help develop lionfish response plans, train resource managers and dive operators in effective collecting and handling techniques and conduct cutting edge research to help address the invasion. To aid in this effort, REEF currently enlists interested divers and snorkelers to join organized lionfish research and removal projects and encourages public participation in helping address the invasion.

The Invasive Lionfish Web Portal is a clearinghouse for all vetted invasive lionfish information and serves as a platform to promote discussion and inquiry. The authors of the Web Portal, which include U.S. federal employees, non-profit managers, research scientists, state biologists, professors, and Ph.D. students, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience on the lionfish invasion.

The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science is conducting biological and ecological assessments of invasive lionfish to determine their impact on reef habitats and economies of the Atlantic. Their work includes interpreting the results of existing biological and ecological studies, identifying data gaps, mapping the distribution of lionfish, and assisting with development of management plans. It is the first study targeting the invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfish along the US Atlantic coast.

New Trap Designs

Trap deployment B-Roll Video

Credit: Lionfish University and NOAA

Animated GIF of a Lionfish swimming into a "Dome Trap" prototype trap

Credit: NOAA

A closed "Dome Trap" prototype with a fish attraction device and a lionfish inside.

Credit: Steve Gittings/NOAA

An invasive lionfish in front of a curtain-style trap.

A diver swims near a "Dome Trap," named for its shape when closed. The trap has a circular base and two hinged half hoops that pivot from a horizontal to vertical position on hinges to close when the trap is retrieved.

A close-up of the "Dome Trap" prototype with a fish attraction device.

A rendering of a new "Purse Trap" design being developed to reduce drag when lowering and raising the trap.

An invasive lionfish at a reef in Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary.

Additional Photos & Videos

Marsha Skoczek/NOAA

Photo: Amanda Sterne/TAMUG

Photo: GP Schmahl/NOAA

Photo: Michelle Johnston/NOAA

Photo: Ryan Eckert/NOAA

Photo: Travis Sterne/TAMUG

Earth Is Blue - Photos & Videos

Lionfish: Terror of the Coral Reefs, Part 1

Lionfish: Terror of the Coral Reefs, Part 2

Lionfish: Terror of the Coral Reefs, Part 3

Lionfish Dissection

Lionfish on the Loose

NOAA and partners release new trap designs to corral invasive lionfish in deep water

Volunteers remove lionfish from flower garden banks national marine sanctuary, on the hunt for answers, it's payback time: onms releases plan to curtail invasive lionfish, why are lionfish a growing problem in the atlantic ocean, invasive lionfish are threatening native fish and the environment in u.s. atlantic coastal waters, including in the florida keys, flower garden banks: invasive lionfish, flower garden banks: lionfish research, what ornate reef dweller is sometimes known as the turkeyfish, the science behind sanctuary lionfish derbies.

(850) 529-2475   •  [email protected]

LionFish Hunting

Pensacola is ground-zero for the lionfish invasion in the us. .

The Red Lionfish (Pterois Volitans) is a reef fish native to the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. They first arrived in South Florida in 1985. In September 2010, a single lionfish was killed by a diver in Pensacola. Five months later, a pair was spotted and killed on YDT-15. Today, it’s common to see dozens of lionfish on many of the public dive spots in our area. Because lionfish are an invasive species they have no natural predators in our area. Lionfish reproduce very quickly (every few days) and will eat anything that fits into their mouths. It is estimated that areas affected by lionfish in the Bahamas have lost an average of 65 percent of their small fish, and more than 40 percent of their larger fish like grouper and snapper. The dorsal, pectoral and anal fins of the red lionfish contain venomous spines. An envenomation is typically very painful, and can cause headaches, nausea, and difficulty breathing. Divers should be very cautious when approaching lionfish, and hunters should be especially careful handling these venomous predators.

Lionfish Hunting in Pensacola, FL

It’s easy to find lionfish to shoot in Pensacola. It’s not unusual for talented hunters to find an abundance in a single trip. Amazingly, some tournament participants have boated in excess of two-hundred lionfish in a single day! Luckily, lionfish are great to eat! From sashimi, sushi, ceviche, grilled, fried whole, baked, or broiled, lionfish is delicious! Even if you don’t want to eat your lionfish, Niuhi Dive Charters can put your fish to work for the environment. Captain Andy and his crew work closely with research professionals across the United States to ensure that they have the samples and specimens they need for ongoing scientific research.

The Lionfish Removal & Awareness Day (LRAD) is the first Saturday after Mother’s Day each year in Florida. A combination of festivals and tournaments, lionfish removal efforts take place at locations all across the State of Florida. The Lionfish Removal & Awareness Day festivals are free and include various activities including:

• Lionfish Tastings
• Fillet Demonstrations
• Family Activities
• Celebrity Chef Cook-Off Competition
• Raffles and Prizes
• Local Vendors
• Arts & Crafts

Click here for more information: Lionfish Removal & Awareness Day .

Learn to Hunt Lionfish with Ocean Strike Team

Niuhi Dive Charters is proud to partner with an amazing non-profit, Ocean Strike Team . They run eco-tourism trips to teach divers how to safely hunt lionfish in Pensacola. If you are interested in learning how to hunt for the first time, contact Niuhi or Ocean Strike Team for more information on their trips. 

Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament

If you would like more information on lionfish and lionfish-related events in the Pensacola area, please visit the Emerald Coast Open’s website .  Niuhi Dive Charters is proud to be a founding sponsor of the Emerald Coast Open, which is comprised of concerned scientists, scuba divers, restaurant operators, and other stakeholders that work to promote awareness and help mitigate the threat that Lionfish pose to the Pensacola and Gulf Coast fisheries.

Deepwoken Wiki

New to the Wiki? Create an account, join our Discord server and read our editing policy !

• View history
• Glacial Lionfish

Description [ ]

A large brown fish with a black mane of a lion, hence its name. It has white blank eyes, with its teeth visible. The fossil record suggests that Lionfish have caused many other predatory fish species to go extinct due to it completely outclassing them in size. It has likely existed for millions of years.

It drops a Lionfish Scale, which is used for crafting armor sets.

Glacial Lionfish are the product of an unknown phenomena, which will cause the genetic makeup of creatures in the world to experience certain mutations, granting them unique traits that is atypical to their biology. The Glacial Lionfish is one such example, with the mutation causing them to be in-tune with Frostdraw .

Glacial Lionfish only features a primarily white coloring and blue blank eyes. In addition, it is observed that Glacial Lionfish may utilize Frostdraw by invoking the Song through its attacks, causing them to inflict Chilling, and in the case of its Cero attack, gain a blue coloration and leave ice where it lands.

Notably enough, it's the only other way to obtain the extremely rare True Seraph's Spear .

Passives [ ]

• Monster Resistance - Physical attacks deal ??? less damage to Lionfish.

Tips & Tricks [ ]

• Though learning the formula for fighting this mob may allow you to solo it at a low level. It's not suggested for those who suffer from any lag related issues as this will easily lead to the game not registering a roll in time and wiping you to a single cero.
• When fighting the lionfish above the depths, it will only have 1 attack pattern, that being the triple chomp combo. The cue for it coming out is usually the lionfish swimming towards you after swimming away for a little bit though it'll only initiate this attack if it makes enough distance from you.
• Funnily enough, a Lionfish can spawn Frostmantled in the Depths despite the existance of Glacial Lionfishes.
• If the lionfish is submerged, you can still land some hits, though you need to be cautious for when it comes up so that you aren't in a swing animation while it's biting.
• If you're fighting one in the depths with the beam, right as you hear the sound start calmly counting in seconds. Right as you count to 8 it will fire the beam. Before you start fighting corrupted ones, it's recommended you fight normal ones to get the feel of how to count it with M1's, Seconds, or maybe even combos depending on what you find to be more comfortable. Another way to avoid the beam is to wait for the Lionfish to charge up, point your camera up while its charging, after a few seconds of charging it will tilt its head/body down, and right when it starts tilting down, you can dodge the beam by pressing Q.
• In the depths, after the Lionfish uses its beam, it will try to go away from the player and use its Bites. To avoid it biting, you need to follow it after it uses its beam, not letting it get too far from you so it won't use bites (be careful of the void). Doing this correctly makes it unable to use its Bites and only its beam.
• The safest option to avoid being shot is to hide or seek cover in a building if the lionfish is using its beam. However, you should only do this if you are certain that you can't dodge the beam.
• Alternatively you can go for the posture break, getting in as much hits as possible to stun it as its very vulnerable while charging. Note that the beam has hyper armour and the attack itself cannot be cancelled, meaning that the lionfish can recover from the posture break right before its done charging and attack you.
• Because the laser beam windup being reduced so much if the mob is using it to grip a player, you'll have to be ready to roll very quickly if you try to save that person.
• Players executed by the Cero move will be completely vaporized and will not drop a loot bag for others to interact with.
• It is recommended to be roughly power 6 (preferably higher) to take on a lionfish.
• Lionfish do not go directly for the ship but the players on it. To protect a ship, players must slow it down/stop it then jump in the water to move the lionfish away from the boat.
• If a Lionfish dives, you can still hit it if you are directly above it.
• You can spawn Lionfish by fishing with a low chance.
• The lionfish itself and it's moves may look intimidating but the lionfish is one of the easiest mobs in the game as it has only a few attack patterns and its beam can be easily dodged.
• Will usually spawn if you happen to travel to Voidsea and sail near certain bubble particles. The larger bubbles may also spawn the Dread Serpent boss.
• The regular cero will not damage you if it goes through a solid object before hitting you. The reduced wind-up grip cero can go through walls.(may have been changed as it didn't go through a wall while I was knocked recently but it has in the past)
• The fact that the beam cannot go through walls makes it very easy to cheese by simply going on a ledge that is just above the Lionfish.

Gallery [ ]

• Seems to be based on the Underwater panther or '' Mishipeshu '' from Native American mythology (Or Arch got it off from ark's Shadowmane which is what I know the myth from). Considering that Deep's landscape seems to take inspiration from early American settlers (especially seen in the Summer Company's teritories) and Chinese/Japanese architecture in other areas this is possible.
• Also based on the actual Lionfish, a species of poisonous fish that can extend spines outward that resemble the mane of a lion.
• The Cero attack is inspired by the attack of the same name from the Bleach franchise, using the same sfx and with the lionfish's pose before firing it resembling the Menos Grande that introduced the technique.
• The Cero is Galebreathe based.
• If you use a sea highway, even a dinghy can outrun them.
• Arch_Mage has confirmed that they will be getting a model re-work and possibly a combat re-work as well.
• Glacial Lionfish can spawn in the overworld in extremely rare occasions. If this happens, it's able to use its Cero unlike the normal variant of of the Lionfish.

Glacial Lionfish using Cero in the overworld.

• 3 Enchantments

Four years after fire engulfed a California dive boat, killing 34, the captain’s trial begins

LOS ANGELES — By the time the scuba dive boat sank off the Southern California coast after catching fire,  34 people had been killed  in the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history.

The Labor Day tragedy in 2019 spurred changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and civil lawsuits. Four years later, a federal trial for the Conception’s captain, Jerry Boylan, was underway Tuesday with jury selection in federal court in Los Angeles. Boylan watched as the judge questioned potential jurors.

It’s been a long, frustrating wait for the families of the dead.

“The past four years have been like living in a nightmare that you don’t wake up from,” said Kathleen McIlvain, whose 44-year-old son Charles was killed.

The 75-foot boat was anchored off the Channel Islands, 25 miles south of Santa Barbara, on Sept. 2, 2019, when it caught fire before dawn on the final day of a three-day excursion, sinking less than 100 feet from shore.

The National Transportation Safety Board blamed Boylan for the tragedy, saying his failure to post a roving night watchman allowed the fire to quickly spread undetected, trapping the 33 passengers and one crew member below.

Those on board included a new deckhand who’d landed her dream job and an environmental scientist who did research in Antarctica, along with a globe-trotting couple and a Singaporean data scientist.

Susana Solano Rosas lost her three daughters Angela, Evan and Nicole Quitasol, who were onboard the Conception with their father, Michael Quitasol, and his wife, Fernisa Sison. Solano Rosas waited with other relatives for jurors to be chosen.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” she said. “We want to start some healing.”

U.S. District Judge George Wu on Oct. 12 granted Boylan’s request to bar most if not all references to “victims” — which the captain’s attorneys say is a prejudicial term that jeopardizes his right to a fair trial. It was the latest setback for the prosecution.

A grand jury in 2020 initially indicted Boylan on 34 counts of a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as “seaman’s manslaughter” that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters. Each count carries up to 10 years in prison in a conviction, for a total of 340 years.

Defense lawyers sought to dismiss those charges, arguing the deaths were the result of a single incident and not separate crimes. Prosecutors got a superseding indictment charging Boylan with only one count.

Then in 2022, Wu ruled the superseding indictment failed to specify that Boylan acted with gross negligence, calling that a required element to prove the crime of seaman’s manslaughter. He dismissed that indictment, forcing prosecutors to go before a grand jury again.

Boylan is now charged with one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer. The single count means he faces only 10 years behind bars if convicted.

He has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. His federal public defenders did not return The Associated Press’ repeated requests for comment, and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

Some of the dead were wearing shoes, prompting investigators to believe they were awake and trying to escape. Both exits from the below-deck bunkroom were blocked by flames.  Coroner’s reports list smoke inhalation as the cause of death.

What exactly started the fire remains unknown. Early official scrutiny appeared to focus on a spot where divers plugged in phones and other electronics. But a  Los Angeles Times story , citing a confidential report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the blaze began in a plastic trash can on the main deck. An official cause remains undetermined.

Boylan and four crew members sleeping in the upper deck told investigators they tried to save the others but were ultimately forced to jump overboard to survive. Boylan made a mayday call before abandoning ship.

Dozens of family members have since formed “Advocacy34” to push for strengthened boating regulations. While seeking answers, they’ve comforted each other during loved ones’ missed birthdays and mourned each anniversary.

“We have no idea when we’ll get those answers, or if we ever will,” McIlvain said.

The NTSB faulted the Coast Guard for not enforcing that requirement and recommended it develop a program to ensure boats with overnight passengers have a watchman.

Victims’ families have sued the Coast Guard in one of several ongoing civil suits.

At the time of the fire, no owner, operator or charterer had been cited or fined for failure to post a roving patrol since 1991, Coast Guard records showed.

The Coast Guard has since enacted new, congressionally mandated regulations regarding fire detection systems, extinguishers, escape routes and other safety measures.

Three days after the inferno, Truth Aquatics Inc., which belongs to the Conception’s owners, Glen and Dana Fritzler, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles under a pre-Civil War provision of maritime law that allows it to limit its liability to the remains of the boat, which was a total loss. The time-tested legal maneuver has been successfully employed by the owners of the Titanic and other vessels, and requires the Fritzlers show they were not at fault.

The couple’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.

In response to the families’ outcry, federal lawmakers last year updated the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851 so owners could be held liable for damages regardless of the boat’s value afterward. The law is not retroactive, however, and will not apply in the Conception fire.

The Associated Press