Hi friends and family! I’m writing to you today as a changed woman. I have officially eaten a venomous animal, something I never thought I would say. While a bunch of us were on an early morning snorkel, the epic spear fisherman Professor Warren went diving and killed four invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans). After dissecting them to see their stomach contents (two fish and a shrimp!) and washing off the scales, someone brought the fish to the kitchen to be prepared for lunch.

Here’s me holding one of the lionfish before we cut off its venomous spines.

When we came in for lunch, I had almost forgot about the four little fish, but their fillets got passed around the lunch tables so everyone could have a little piece. When the fish finally got to me, I managed to pull a couple bites of meat off the many tiny bones. It was white and tender, with crispy grilled skin, but from the smell I thought the taste would be very fishy. However, I was pleasantly surprised by its mild but delicious taste, which blew my expectations out of the water. Suffice to say, I will be eating lionfish if it is ever offered to me again, which will hopefully be before the end of this trip, since who knows when I will have an opportunity to eat such an exotic fish again. This is Lemonade Lauren signing off!