Guy Harvey Outpost, along with Reef Monitoring, Inc. and the Fishing Rights Alliance, is hosting a Lionfish Safari in an effort to collect as many of the invasive fish as possible for research and educate the public on the threat the species poses to reef environments.
September 12 – Lionfish Safari: All registered divers will depart from their place of choice to complete the mission of hunting and capturing as many lionfish as possible. All captured lionfish must be kept on ice and surrendered at the Guy Harvey Outpost the following day. Each registrant will receive a guide to surrounding reefs that contain lionfish, a tournament t-shirt, meal ticket and access to the weigh-in and Family Fun Day on Sept. 13. There will be cash prizes including largest and smallest lionfish and Guy Harvey raffle items and giveaways.
To register for the Lionfish safari, visit www.GuysLionfishSafari.com. Deadline to register is Tues., September 1. Cost is $35 per person. All lionfish will be used for research and food tastings, and proceeds go to Reef Monitoring, a non-profit dedicated to organizing marine scientists and educators as a means of watching over natural and artificial reef systems. www.reefmonitoring.org.
September 13 – Participants and their families will be encouraged to enjoy a day of family fun at Guy Harvey Outpost after the weigh-in between11a.m. – 12:30 p.m. All fish will be weighed and measured by Reef Monitoring and then passed along to students for dissection and then to volunteers for food preparation. During this process, the group will explain the anatomy of these fish and why they are so harmful to other species in the Gulf waters. Then the lionfish fillets will be passed along to the chef station where they will be cooked and prepared for the tasting station.
Other activities will include a beachside cookout, music, and drink specials. At 2:30 p.m. the tournament winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded.
This year, the winners of the Florida Skin Divers Association (FSDA) Underwater Photo Contest will be announced at the Lionfish Safari onSept. 13. The photo contest, which is offering more than $3,000 in prizes, has four categories for underwater photography and video, including one for best lionfish photo. Photos must be submitted no later than midnight on Aug. 23. For more information, please visit www.floridaskindivers.com
Open to the public.
Location: Guy Harvey Outpost at 6000 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach
Cost: Admission is complimentary.
Parking: Limited parking will be available for $20 at the Guy Harvey Outpost and at the neighboring Island Grand.
For additional information and special tournament room rates, please visit www.GuysLionfishSafari.com or call (727) 259.7404.