INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — No lobster off the shores of Indian River County was safe on Wednesday as the 48-hour lobster mini-season kicked off with swarms of divers in search of the ocean “bugs.”
David Barkett was preparing to launch three kayaks with his brother, nephews, and friends off the beach near Sexton Plaza at approximately 9:30 a.m. There were already dozens of boats and even more divers marked with floating orange flags dotting the horizon.
“This definitely seems to be one of the more crowded years, especially for Vero,” Barkett said. “The inlets are always crowded, but probably because of the perfect conditions, there are a lot more people out here on the water than usual.”
Lobster mini-season has become a tradition for Barkett’s family. For Barkett, the thrill is not in how many lobsters he is able to bring home.
“It’s a great adrenaline rush,” Barkett said about spotting and trapping lobsters in the reef. “It’s always a good chase.”
Mark Helmling traveled from St. Petersburg, Fla., to participate in the season and was excited to get started.
Helmling and Barkett each planned on spending between two and three hours in the water, the approximate equivalent of two tanks.
According to Helmling, once divers swim out to the reef, they are looking for lobsters hiding in the coral. Often, the lobsters are spotted only by the ends of two antennae exposed from the reef.
“You dive down with a net, tickle the lobster out into the net, slam the net on it, and bring the lobster up,” Helmling said.
As simple as Helmling made the process sound, collecting the allotted 12 lobsters per person is a little more difficult.
“It’s hit or miss,” Barkett said. “Some years we go home with our limit, sometimes we don’t.”
Divers toss the lobsters to their companions who follow in kayaks closely behind who help keep count and ensure all lobsters fit within the guidelines.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, the two-day lobster mini-season that always falls on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July is a precursor to the regular season that opens on Aug. 6 and closes March 31. Divers are allowed 12 lobster per person per day during the mini-season and six lobster per person per day during the regular season. Lobsters must measure 3-inches to be a keeper.