Flying with corals / anemones

[ninjamyst]

I want to share experience with going through airport security with corals for those that may be traveling this holiday and visiting coral shops during their travel.

My dad visited me in Orlando this weekend. I took him to TSA, LRO, and WWC and he loves every min of it. He even got to experience a TSA in store special weekend.

He flew back to Chicago today and I packed up a bubble tip anemone, zoas, favias, and two conchs for him, each in small plastic container with a twist on cap to ensure water doesn't leak but still easy to open in case airport security has to test the water.

My dad does not speak much English and I was super worried.

But it was a breeze. Arrived at airport at 6:20am and he was through security by 6:45am. He took out the plastic containers and showed them to the agent. The agent asked what they were and he just said corals and anemones which we practiced during the car ride to airport. He said the agent shook one of the container a few times and that was it. No water test and didn't open the containers.

He spent the rest of the phone call complaining that he should have took more stuff from my tank =P.

Obviously YMMV especially since Orlando airport security is probably used to this with so many big reef stores here and annual reef conventions with tons of visitors.

 

[Psyduck]

I want to share experience with going through airport security with corals for those that may be traveling this holiday and visiting coral shops during their travel.

My dad visited me in Orlando this weekend. I took him to TSA, LRO, and WWC and he loves every min of it. He even got to experience a TSA in store special weekend.

He flew back to Chicago today and I packed up a bubble tip anemone, zoas, favias, and two conchs for him, each in small plastic container with a twist on cap to ensure water doesn't leak but still easy to open in case airport security has to test the water.

My dad does not speak much English and I was super worried.

But it was a breeze. Arrived at airport at 6:20am and he was through security by 6:45am. He took out the plastic containers and showed them to the agent. The agent asked what they were and he just said corals and anemones which we practiced during the car ride to airport. He said the agent shook one of the container a few times and that was it. No water test and didn't open the containers.

He spent the rest of the phone call complaining that he should have took more stuff from my tank =P.

Obviously YMMV especially since Orlando airport security is probably used to this with so many big reef stores here and annual reef conventions with tons of visitors.

This is good news to hear! We are planning our first trip to Reefapalooza next year, and were little worried!

 

[ninjamyst]

This is good news to hear! We are planning our first trip to Reefapalooza next year, and were little worried!

Just make sure you get some clear plastic containers

 

[ReddingReefer]

I have had a similar experience. I brought back stuff from FL to CA on a trip to visit family. TSA agents were a little confused, but essentially they just swabbed the top of the bags and ran it through there machines to look for whatever chemicals they test for. After that it was all good. They paid more attention to the corals, since they just looked like a rock (the zoas and shrooms were all closed up). But it didn’t delay my security check at all.

 

[ninjamyst]

I will add that the bubble tip was in about 8 oz of water and the rest were in 4oz.

 

[PapaFishRocks]

TSA and TSA
:grinning-face-with-smiling-eyes: