Belize Lobster Season: Lobsterfest, the Closed Season and Eating Sustainably

Table of grilled seafood and local dishes, the kind of feast served during Belize lobster season

Belize lobster season is one of the best food reasons to plan a dive trip. When the season opens each year, the coastal towns celebrate with Lobsterfest: street food, music and grilled Caribbean spiny lobster on every corner. Here is how the season works, why it closes, where to celebrate and how to eat seafood in a way that keeps the reef healthy.

How the Season Works

Belize protects its Caribbean spiny lobster with a closed season every year, when catching, buying and selling lobster is not allowed. The closed season usually runs from mid-February to mid-June, giving lobsters time to breed. When the season reopens in mid-June, fishers head out and restaurants put lobster back on the menu. The Belize Fisheries Department sets the dates and size limits, so check the current rules before you plan a trip around them.

Conch is protected the same way, with its own closed season, and the Fisheries Department can close a season early if numbers fall. Respecting these rules is one of the simplest ways visitors help fishing communities and the reef.

Why Closed Seasons Work

The Caribbean spiny lobster has no big claws like its northern relatives. It relies on its spiny shell and long antennae for defence, and it shelters under ledges and in crevices during the day. Females carry thousands of eggs under their tails, and the larvae drift in ocean currents for months before settling on reefs, sometimes far from where they hatched. A closed season protects lobsters during their main breeding period, and size limits make sure they can reproduce before they are caught. Together these rules keep the fishery going for the families who depend on it and keep lobsters on the reef for divers to see.

Lobsterfest

The opening of the season is celebrated with lobster festivals in several towns, usually in late June and early July:

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye: the biggest party, with food stalls, live music and a lively crowd.
Caye Caulker: a relaxed beach festival in keeping with the island's "go slow" pace.
Placencia: a southern celebration on the peninsula, with lobster cooked in every style.

Dates change from year to year, so check local announcements before you book. Rooms fill up quickly on festival weekends, so book early. Our Belize dive accommodations guide covers each of these towns.

Lobster Dishes to Try

Grilled lobster tail with garlic butter, the classic.
Lobster ceviche, cured in lime with onion, tomato and cilantro.
Lobster burritos, tacos and fritters from street stalls.
Lobster in coconut curry or added to rice and beans.
Lobster pizza and pasta, for something different.

For more on Belizean food, see our guide to restaurants in Belize for divers.

Diving and Lobsters

Spiny lobsters are easy to spot on Belize reefs, their long antennae poking out from under ledges and coral heads. Night dives are the best time to see them walking across the reef. Watching them is free all year; catching them is regulated. Lobster diving requires a licence and must follow Fisheries Department rules on season, size and method, as our scuba diving gear guide for Belize explains. Most visitors simply leave them be and enjoy them on the plate in season.

Eating Seafood Responsibly

Never buy lobster or conch in the closed season. If it is offered, it was caught illegally.
Avoid undersized lobster. Small tails mean the animal was caught before it could breed.
Skip parrotfish. Belize banned parrotfish fishing in 2009 because they keep algae off the coral.
Order lionfish. It is an invasive species, and every one eaten helps the reef.
Ask where the fish came from. Good restaurants are happy to tell you.

Read more about protecting the reef in our post on Belize coral reef conservation.

Planning a Lobster Season Dive Trip

Lobsterfest falls at the start of the wet season and the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Early summer usually brings warm water, fewer crowds and lower prices, and the biggest storm risk comes later in the season. Our post on diving Belize in hurricane season explains how to plan around the weather, and the Belize dive travel guide covers flights and transfers.

Tips for Lobsterfest Visitors

Bring cash in small notes; many food stalls don't take cards.
Go early in the evening for the shortest lines and the best choice.
Pace yourself with the rum punch if you're diving the next morning.
Use a refillable water bottle and the bins provided; festival rubbish easily ends up in the sea.
Plan your dives around the festival, not the other way round: morning boats still run.

Out of Season

Visiting between February and June? There is still plenty of fresh seafood. Snapper, grouper, shrimp and conch (in its own season) fill the menus, and lionfish is often a special. Ask your server what came in that day.

Belize Lobster Season and Lobsterfest