Roatan

[scubaduo92]

We are going back to Roatan in January and was wondering if they are seeing lion fish on the reefs there. I know earlier I had read where there were a few but haven't seen anyone writing about them lately. We didn't see any in Utila last year, but it seems everyone is talking about them this year all over the carribean. Doc, is the ski lift pic for real? I can't believe someone would build something like that in Roatan! Maybe it will fail and it will make a great clothesline!

 

[Doc]

Yes, they're all over the Caribbean.
Yes, you can't make stuff like this up.
Likely soon, it is mechanical.
No- too high for a clothesline.

 

[Roatan Tec Team]

Lionfish, lionfish, lionfish----- almost every dive there is a sighting or a capture, more sightings than capturings though. The marine park is working very hard on controlling the situation as well as the instructors and divemasters at multiple shops..... with any luck we can keep the population to a minimum.. Its a shame because they are such a pretty fish, however do not belong in these waters...

 

[scubaduo92]

It just seems they have multiplied so fast in one year. DMs cannot control the fish but can help a little I guess. Maybe some preditor will find them eatable and can help somewhat. I wonder how bad these fish will affect the reef. Time will tell!

 

[Shawnda]

"Maybe some preditor will find them eatable"
I heard they are great with a little Garlic butter. Nothing better to control or wipe out a species than to convince the "top preditor" that they taste great !.

 

[vvitola]

Came back from Roatan yesterday, stayed at AKR for 7 day and saw 2 lionfishes in a total of 21 dives. We caught one.

 

[philmayer]

I was at CCV in August and they had one in a tank in Patty's shop. It was the 3rd caught off Roatan IIRC.

They're coming. No doubt about it.

Bonaire found their first about a month ago, not they've found 40 and they're expecting the sightings to double weekly.

I haven't seen any in the Caribbean, but I saw a ton of them while diving wrecks off NC.

It's funny because a group from my LDS went to Fiji last month and it's very unusual to see them there -- they hide from predators! No predators here.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

It's funny because a group from my LDS went to Fiji last month and it's very unusual to see them there -- they hide from predators! No predators here.

I saw Lionfish on almost every dive in Fiji...there were plenty of them there...their natural predators are grouper and other lionfish....and grouper are plentiful in the South Pacific and they are big.... maybe because they eat lionfish

 

[CajunDiva]

We saw 4 lionfish during our October trip (one week on the south side and one week on the north side of the island)

Someone told me last week they saw 7...looks like they're multiplying! :devil3:

 

[michael.boysen]

any chance you can post a picture I think I know what they look like we will be at AKR in two weeks> Are they trying to catch them to control the population??