JuLionfish Derby & Festival

The lionfish was never meant to be in the Atlantic Ocean.  Now that it’s here and rapidly reproducing, it’s causing problems.  Their venomous spines mean that few other creatures see it as prey, and it’s crowding out native species like snapper and grouper.

Lionfish also happens to be delicious.  It’s been described as “buttery, tender, flaky and decadent.”  Local chefs have jumped on the bandwagon and are creating delectable dishes featuring lionfish.

And culling, namely by diving for them, has a real impact toward getting the populations under control. 

In 2022, the South Carolina Aquarium cooked up a neat event to tackle the problem.  First, it’s the JuLionfish Derby   -  a month-long fishing derby where certified divers compete to try and get the most and biggest lionfish out of our local waters.  It’s happening for three months, from May 1st through July 27th, from sunrise to sunset each day.

Then, the Derby culminates in the JuLionfish Festival on the last Friday in July.   It’s a 21+ after hours, all-inclusive event at the Aquarium where you can taste for yourself just how good lionfish is  -  and feel good about helping to remove it from our waters.  There will be a silent auction, plenty of beer and wine, chef demonstrations and small plates, awards given to the Derby divers, and more.  Tickets are $65 for nonmembers ($60 for members), and proceeds help the good work of South Carolina Aquarium Reef Research.  The event lasts from 7:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m.

Get the whole scoop at the Aquarium’s website.  Also, read more about lionfish here.