Florida's two-day spiny lobster mini season opens Thursday, July 30, and runs through Friday, July 31, bringing thousands of recreational divers and boaters into South Florida waters. At a joint news conference Monday, July 27, in North Miami, officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit laid out harvest rules and safety requirements for anyone heading offshore.

The mini season is the only window each year when commercial lobster fishing is suspended and recreational harvesters get first access.

Bag limits and size rules

George Reynaud of the FWC told reporters that the daily bag limit is 12 lobsters per person in Miami-Dade County waters outside Biscayne National Park. Inside Biscayne National Park and Monroe County, the limit drops to six per person.

Size matters too.

Every lobster kept must have a carapace — the shell from the head to the start of the tail — at least three inches long. FWC officers demonstrated proper measurement technique at the news conference.

Egg-bearing lobsters are off-limits. FWC officials said harvesters should look for bright orange eggs clustered beneath the tail, which they described as resembling a bright orange sponge.

Several protected areas remain closed during mini season. The FWC did not list every restricted zone at the news conference but urged harvesters to check the full map at myfwc.com before launching.

Boating safety

"Ensure your engines are shut off when divers are in the water. Check your navigation lights before getting underway," Lt. Matthew Ross of the U.S. Coast Guard said at the conference. "Wear your life jacket at all times, and boat sober."

Lt. Michael Barrios of the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit reminded boaters at Monday's conference that Florida law requires a dive flag or symbol to be displayed whenever a diver is in the water. Boaters must watch for those flags and stay alert around other vessels.

Officials also advised checking the weather forecast before leaving the dock.

What you need before you go

A recreational saltwater fishing license with a lobster permit is required. Permits are available through the FWC at myfwc.com/license/recreational/saltwater-fishing/.

The FWC's full list of regulations and legal harvest areas is at myfwc.com.