Lobster Season
June 15 to February 14. Fresh from the reef to the grill.
The Season That Runs the Island
On June 15th every year, a buzzer sounds and the entire island of Ambergris Caye goes into the water. Lobster season has opened. Every captain, every diver, every fisherman knows the date the way other people know their birthday.
The Caribbean spiny lobster — no claws, all tail — lives in the crevices of the reef system. Fishermen and divers work the reef by hand, using snares and tickle sticks. It is skilled, physical work. The good captains know exactly where to look.
From June to February, fresh lobster is on every menu in San Pedro. Grilled with butter and lime. In a ceviche. Split and charred on a beach BBQ with conch and snapper. The lobster season is Belize's culinary calendar.
The season closes February 14th — Valentine's Day — to protect the breeding stock. The reef stays healthy. The tradition continues. Next June, the buzzer sounds again.
“When lobster season opens, I'm on the reef at dawn. Not for the tourists — because that's what you do when you grew up here. The freshest lobster you'll ever eat comes off a Belizean reef in the first weeks of June. I can make that happen.”