Florida’s two-day spiny lobster mini-season has begun, bringing large numbers of recreational divers and boaters into South Florida waters to catch lobster before the main season opens. The event is a popular annual opportunity, but its heavy traffic also makes adherence to fishing and boating safety rules important.

The sport season runs for 48 hours on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July. Catch limits are 12 lobsters per person daily across most of Florida, falling to six in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park; lobsters must have a carapace longer than three inches, and participants need the required licence and permit.