Still looking for Spiny Lobster observations

Over the past year, I have heard some reports of live spiny lobsters in Northern California. Tom Stienstra wrote about some observations from Lake Merritt and along the open coast here:
http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Unusual-critters-from-far-away-sighted-in-Bay-Area-6662345.php

We just heard from a fisherman that he saw a live lobster in the San Francisco Bay just last week!

If you are out in the bay or along the coast, beachcombing, diving, or exploring in any way, and see a spiny lobster molt or live animal, please take photos and share your find!

Your observations are key to our understanding of the changes in this species' range.

We are only asking for geotagged photos, but just in case you are wondering about the fishing rules for California Spiny Lobsters, here they are:

1. You must have a sport fishing license and a lobster report card.
2. You can only take them by hand or with a hoop net.
3. Use of SCUBA to fish for lobsters, north of Carmel is not allowed.
4. No use of traps.
5. The minimum size limit for California spiny lobster is three and one-fourth inches, measured in a straight line on the midline of the back from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear edge of the body shell.
6. You can only have seven lobsters in your possession at a time....including in your freezer!
7. The recreational season this year runs Saturday, October 1, 2016 through Wednesday, March 22, 2017

You can find out all you need to know about the fishery here:
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Lobster

Thanks,
Rebecca

Posted on August 9, 2016 05:51 PM by rebeccafay