Can you drown a lobster?
Rachel Davis
Updated on February 21, 2026
Sarah - The simple answer is no. Lobsters have evolved to live in water. They exchange gases through their gills and they will actually die if they are out of water for too long, but they will actually survive for a small amount of time.
Can lobsters survive out of water?
A lobster can live out of the water for a couple of days if kept in a moist and cool place. How can a lobster live so long out of water? A lobster can extract the oxygen from the air, but in order to do this its gills must be kept moist or they will collapse.How long can lobsters breathe out of water?
Living Out of WaterLobsters can only survive out of water for approximately one to two days. Because they require large amounts of moisture, they must be packed in ice. However, this environment is not optimal for lobsters. They can only survive long term in seawater.