Or so they say....

How dangerous are barracudas?

I have swam with barracudas each year in Bonaire and when I re-tell the experience I tend to freak people. Now I don't mean up close and personal like dolphins, but reasonably close. I researched on the Internet and really didn't get much.

So BTers....

I think the rule is like ANY marine animals- you just don't want to provoke them (I remember some nasty pecks on the head from a damsel fish one time- I didn't mean to get so close!)- I have seen them many a time and they seemed to want me to keep a healthy distance- I was only too happy to comply!! (That said- I have on a videotape an awesome shot of a 'cuda coming up between a divers legs and grabbing an eel that the diver had just taken a picture of! Just like National Geographic!!)(we all told him it was a good thing that we weren't diving naked!!) No- the barracudas have not scared me- but the first time that I did a night dive off of Sand Dollar the Tarpons came up over and under us to use our dive lights to 'fish' for dinner. Scared me to death! I have, however, wondered about blood in the water and at certain times of the month have always made sure that everything was very clean and secure. I have always wondered if something like that could attract the larger preying fish. (Which is also another reason I don't wear a shorty- I would hate to get a scrape or cut getting in the water and then spend the rest of the dive wondering if Orca the killer whale was going to appear!!)

Hi Linda and Tammy... I saw a barracuda once while diving on the RMS Rhone in Tortola, and it was apparently the resident 'cuda... the divemaster even had a name for it, "Fang". Needless to say, it was very very big and scared the daylights out of me. I know we aren't supposed to "provoke" them, but what constitutes provoking? I like to get as close as possible for the pictures... seems like that would make them a little irritable??

I've been told to avoid wearing anything that flashes of shines in the sun. I take this to mean a necklace or, for women, earrings, etc. Maybe the 'cuda mistakes this as the flash of a small bait fish?

Here's a link on this subject, click here. Barracuda attacks are very rare but do happen. One senior member of the Reef Alliance was attacked while snorkeling in clear water off Cozumel. Weird stuff.

Quick Story...There is a big Barracuda at Tori's Reef. He tends to stay at the surface area. Ed and I were snorkeling and noticed that he was very interested in us. I had color fins on. If we tried to approach him, he would swim off. If we started to go away, he would follow, close. My husband who used to laugh at me when I would hide behind him when I felt a barracuda was too close (my early dives) let me know after the snorkel that the barracuda was "too curious". We told the story to Renee and she said that he was very curious...so curious that one day he decided to take a bite out of her colored fins! Yikes...

Cecil,
Thanks for the link. I'd heard the jewelry theory before but I'm guilty of ALWAYS wearing my rings....I'm not sure I could get them off if I tried while in the tropics. I'm so used to the dry Rockies, my fingers always swell up in Bonaire.

Thanks, for the comments. I'll continue to not get too close and enjoy their beauty.

Cecil, interesting link...maybe it was a rabid cuda?

My mother-in-law (thinks diving is WAY too dangerous) sent us a newspaper article about a diver in Florida attacked by a trunkfish. She wanted to make sure there were no trunkfish is Bonaire that might attack her daughter!

And I especially like the passage from "Fishwatchers Guide" by C.G. Chaplin, copyright 1972, regarding Black Durgeons: "These fish have a bad reputation around Ascension Island where they swarm in immense numbers and attack like piranhas." (!!)

If you want to dive with cudas come up to North Carolina. It's not uncommon to find yourself in a school of them, not just the one or 2 I see in Bonaire. So far I have not heard of any problems with them up here. On my first ocean dive I jumped off the boat and when the bubbles cleared, I found myself in a school of 3-4 ft cudas, all of which had turned to look at me. No matter which direction I looked, there was a cuda looking at me. So far I have not had any problems with any fish except for a damsel fish that grabbed my finger and started tugging. I am sure glad they don't get big.

Just my two ents worth, but I've often heard them described as the underwater equivalent of a Chocolate Lab puppy. Very curious about anything sparkley and just as dangerous. lol

I've had more problems with Chicago quarry bluegills trying to eat my earlobes.

And any resident "Charlie" tarpon is a sheer delight on night dives. Especially when you are with someone on their FIRST night dive. Even though you tell them it's gonna happen beforehand, the expression and body language is priceless.

We did a live-aboard last year- one of the fun things about the night dives was jumping off of the back right through the schools of tarpon that would just hang. We never jumped ON one- but it seemed as if we certainly could- there were so many. (and once in the water they never wanted to follow us- they would just hang up by the back, watching what was attracted by the big boat lights. They were sure pretty- fat as hogs and shiny and silvery.

I have to agree with Herman. I was certified off the coast of South Carolina and on my first open water dive was surrounded by 4 foot cudas. It was especially eerie when you were doing your safety stop and had to just hang there while "they" watched! Very creepy! However, after a few dives you become used to their presence and they don't even seem to react to your being there. They just like hanging out under the boat.

Here's a pix of a cuda who didn't seem to mind me being so close

\image

OK first time I tried to post a pix,

I'll try again

Chances are the photo is too large it must be 50kb or smaller some are better around 45kb..
If you would like a New YAwker to help you post if you don't have a way to make the photo smaller just send me the photo and I;ll send it right back..
scubahb@optonline.net

good job I must have jumped the gun!!! beautiful photo!!! thanks for posting it Brian!!!

That guy hangs around the ledge at WannaDive

Hi Wally and Eva,
I saw the same guy last summer!

Mare

there is a 50 foot!!!!!! Cuda that I ran into at every snorkel in the bay off of Sorobon too... but he /she never bothered us, it was the smaller ones that were looking hungry ;-)

(Message edited by tlube on February 28, 2005)

50 foot!!! Are you just telling us a 'fish' story!!??

It seems Tod thinks this ...... is six inches Tami

CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE PRICE OF A GALLON OF GASOLINE ON THE ISLAND IS.

Rick,
I don't know the conversion, but the other day I filled up my rental P/U truck at the station near the warehouse supermarket and it cost $53 US (the tank wasn't bone dry, just below the 1/4 mark)

I would figure on a minimum of US $3.50 per US gallon. Bonaire pump prices are per liter. One liter = .2639 gallon, and you're on your own after that! Also, 1.75 gilders = 1.00 $US

(Message edited by grunt on March 1, 2005)

Rick,

The cost is 1.62 Antillean Guilder per litre. (Unleaded Regular) Appx 3.5 ltr = 1 gallon: 5,67 Guilder per gallon.

$1 US = 1.78 guilder

$3.18 US per gallon appx.

Liz

Wally, I saw that same cuda hanging under the ledge right in front of Eden Beach

We came across this one at Angel City. Please overlook the not great quality of picture. This was our first underwater camera rental.

Jen

A few years ago someone in our group wore a bikini with quater size metalic dots and the divemasters on the boat (she didn't dive,snorkeled) made her get out of the water for her own safty.Seems it attracted the barricuda. I remember that when I shop for a bathing suit now.
Funny how you can find it on a menue on Bonaire too.I've had it, delicious.

He should have at least given her the option of losing the bikini.