Lion fish in Cancun

[stevsgarage]

I have read of several reports of Lionfish in Cozumel although I didn't see any in August when I was there, however I did spot one in Cancun last week while there for Christmas.
It was Dec 21st at 11:15 AM at a sight called Punta Negra a short distance off the coast of Punta Cancun were all the night clubs are.
I pointed it out to the DM and the other 2 divers with us but all they did was look at it. The next day though during the pre dive briefing they demonstrated a hand single for Lionfish along with the usual turtle, stingray, shark ect.... Put your palms of both hands together and open them like an alligators mouth and wiggle the fingers of your upper hand.
I did make out a report to REEF when I got home.

 

[requindiver]

I'm in Cozumel every month, and see more Lionfish every time. Their numbers have really been increasing in Cozumel the past 6 months. Now it's possible to see them on most dives. They're all over the Caribbean, and trying to eradicate them is futile. My hand signal for Lionsfish is a speargun killing them.

 

[stevsgarage]

It is a shame they are such a beautiful creature but if half the damage that is predicted is true then I have to agree your signal is the most appropriate.

 

[ben@scorpiodivers.com]

In Cancun the local dm's are actually doing a very good job removing the lionfish from the reefs.
The first one I spotted was back in April and I have only counted a handfull since. Unfortunatly myself, Jorge and four divers made a 5:45am dawn dive on Monday in puerto Morelos, we counted 7 lionfish in a small area, we were not equipped or prepared to catch them but the dm's, dive ops and national park in Morelos need to do something about that fast!!
Great dawn dive; in at 5:45 out at 6:50 with the sun rising over a calm sea, beautiful.

 

[Gaviota]

About 100 miles to the south in Costa Maya /Mahahual, lionfish are already widespread. We counted at least 3-6 on each dive. Most were small in the 3 inch size range. Not yet up to up to dinner size, worth clean and grill. We did manage to harvest some of them.

Without much dive traffic, I would expect them to continue to spread.

 

[nordiques]

haha ben, i wouldn't say you guys weren't equipped... Jorge did try to improvise something. But you are right the dawn dive was amazing