The Sweet Smell of Lionfish

Bucket of Scents

Everyone out there has that one particular scent that they can distinguish right away if it comes by their nose, embedded in their memory because it reminds them of an extremely pleasant experience or a traumatic one. Well, for me, standing over dead lionfish hours at a time has led to development of the latter. The odor that they release is unlike any other I have ever experienced. It may not be too strong at first, but stick around a little longer and it will grow on you.

Jackpot!

Aside from the steady supply of stank present simply due to having a dead fish in front of you, every individual I’ve cut open has been like trying to diffuse a bomb. Unfortunately it blows up every time. Each gut packs an extra punch of its own signature smell, at this point making me somewhat of a connoisseur.

Last Meals

However, enduring the torture has had its benefits. It has allowed me to collect a lot of different data regarding the feeding habits and digestion rates of lionfish and being able to go out and hunt for them has been tons of fun as well. Now with only 3 days left in Jamaica I’m filled with mixed emotions. I’m filled with joy that I will soon be free of these putrid odors. But on the other hand I will truly miss the beautiful weather, nice people and awesome experience that this trip has been.

BY Jake