Hi BT`s,

on our last 2 dive`s we saw Great Barracudas. First in the shallow water at Windsock appr. in 2 m and the next one directly under the Hilma Hooker.Has anybody seen more and how do you behave when facing them?

Sandra & Alex ... very happy on Bonaire :-)

I see barracudas all the time. Just observe them as you do any of the fishies

Barracudas offer some great encounters while diving, they can be very curious so will sometimes follow along at a distance and act as your buddy. I remember one particular Bonaire dive when a Barracuda accompanied us for almost the entire dive, waiting for us when we stopped to check out the reef and giving out impatient 'move it along, guys' vibes :o)

we haven't seen as many on this trip as in the past but we've seen bigger ones. biggest on this trip so far is about 4 feet. they just hang there motionless for the most part and ignore divers. granted, it's a bit unnerving when they just watch you swim by but to my knowledge there has never been an incident of a barracuda attacking a diver.

I'm not sure where barracuda got the bad rap, must've been some silly TV show years ago.

What's more fun-scary is TARPON, especially during night dives. They're quite bigger than most 'cuda and have unnerving habit of swimming up behind you as if using your light to see possible snacks. Seems like I could almost have reached out and touched them. This was in Buddy Dive and Captain Don's vicinity back in November...

I second Tom's comments on the tarpon. I find them far more scary than barracuda. The tarpon are huge and they love to glide right next to you during a night dive. They really unnerved me on my one (and only) night dive during our last trip (off Captain Don's).

At least the 'cuda just hang a respectable distance away and merely stare at you (sort of like a border collie stares you down to throw the tennis ball).

Of course, I would recommend against wearing any type of shiny jewelry while you dive.

I second about the shiny jewelery or anything even when we snorkel. Off comes everything. We had a very friendly tarpon come up to us while snorkeling and yikes... dang. He / or she was huge. Enjoyed it though. Love the waters of Bonaire.

One of our instructors during our open water certification commented on baracuda saying that they are just very curious creatures with big teeth. He did tell us not to stick our hands out and wiggle our fingers in front of them. They might think you fingers are food.
I think of Tarpon as big ole' friendly fish. They are looking for an easy meal on your night dives. Meaning butterfly fish, not you as a meal. They seemed so docile when Terry and I swam through a school of them once. Just moved over to make room for us.
Now after seeing a few Goliath grouper in action, those are the fish I look out for. I once saw one of those 300 lb'ers go after a fish. Never thought something that big could move so fast. Wham - it was gone.

(Message edited by tlraz on March 9, 2009)

Love the 'cuda. My biggest sighting was on the east side. As far as attack creatures go - watch out for the damselfish !! Just like the bluegill here at home they will nip you often if you get too close to their home. And I have heard more stories from divers about large groupers being more aggressive. And don't mess with eels either. No poking hands in holes!

Tarpon are a blast at night and they can be a scary surprise but totally harmless, just BIG !!

The attack 'cuda stories I have heard are in shallow waters with swimmers rather than divers. Much the same risk as sharks. When diving you are basically another big fish almost as big or bigger than the average sharks and 'cuda and certainly not looking like a meal. Unless you do something stupid you are quite safe - more so than driving to the grocery or work back at home.

this wasn't a Bonaire barracuda, but they do attack divers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/05/AR2009010502777.html

Thanks for the link, Evan. Of less traumatic consequence, I found this information on Sea World's website:

"You can measure a barracuda's age by counting the rings on its scales or in a tiny structure called an otolith in its ear. For each year of its life, a fish has one new ring, and it can live up to fourteen years."

Although I'm not sure I'm going to get close enough (or stare back long enough) to get an accurate count.

Remind me not to shine my dive lite in some cudas eyes . thanks

My DIL absolutely hates Bonaire tarpon! We were night diving in front of the Sand$ and one particlar tarpon would rub Erica's leg- as often as possible!

During a UV night dive it gets even creepier. The tarpons have absolutely no fluorescence so they basically disappear and become 'shadows' when diving with UV lights and mask filters. Being passes with only an inch in between by 'Shadow Charlie' is quite the experience

Yeah....what Bas said.

UV + tarpon = creepy x 10.

Ooh - I want to "see" the Tarpon with UV. Definitely have to look you up for that next trip.

The article on the barracuda does show that the fish was startled with the light AND the event occurred in a cavern. So the feeling of being cornered and attacked is likely part of the attack response.

Night diving solo with my UV kit at Cliff (Capt Don's North), that huge cubera that lives around there and one of the big tarpon would come within inches of me whenever I had the UV filter over the Light Cannon, and the moment I lifted the filter, there were tail thumps as the biggies split, only to return to within inches as soon as I returned to UV mode ... definitely spooky to have two largish creatures peering over your shoulder in the dark! Haven't seen any barracuda with the UV system on, but they do make me nervous at night. I can imagine one attacking my light.

Wow! I hope I have the extra cash to try that UV + Tarpon = creepy x 10!!!!!!

Wes had a great (painful) encounter with a tarpon. We were diving 18 palm, right by where the reef bends, and we must have upset a tarpon. He swam at Wes and nailed him head on in his rib cage. Sent Wes flying out into the blue. It was the only bad encounter we have had with a tarpon. I love seeing them, especially on night dives. I dive the cliff only for the tarpon.

As for barracuda, they used to give me the willies, but now I love watching them. Their colorations are pretty cool. I will admit though, that if I encounter a rather large one, I will give it plenty of room.

Ok....so am I the only one who didn't know (before I did a UV night dive there) that the Cliff is, apparently, famous for it's ginormous tarpon??? That's okay, it was an excellent lesson for me in managing panic in an underwater situation. Lots of zen breathing went on that night.

Of course, my hubby enjoyed the UV stuff so much he bought "us" the whole UV setup for Valentine's Day. Um yeah........

(Message edited by lizard0924 on March 10, 2009)

Ah yes, another one of my great experiences on Bonaire. When my wife and I did the Town Pier, 3 huge tarpon followed us the entire dive taking turns eating whatever fish we shined our lights on. They would swim just inches above and behind us and whenever we would shine our dive lights on a fish they thought looked tasty... swoosh right by my head they would dive in. Just before they reached their prey they would roll on their sides and open their mouths wide, then poof the little fishies were gone and our big buddies would take their places back beside us. It totally freaked out Amelia, but I loved it. A tarpon was actually the very first fish I ever saw on Bonaire swimming below the sea wall at Captain Don's waiting for a handout from the cook at Rum Runners.

I certainly hope those tarpon were licensed to take little fishies in the Marine Park.

No, wait, they're probably grandfathered in...

Yep they are grandfathered just like the turtles.

One always wonders at the coral destruction the turtles do finding meals compared to what divers do.

We do too, Dan. We saw a large hawksbill near Cliff rooting around the base of a coral head that had already been eroded at the base by sponges. Suddenly the coral head broke loose and, like a cnidarian bowling ball, went tumbling and crashing its way down, down, down until it stopped somewhere around 90 feet! Maybe we should have reported it to STINAPA...

But speaking of barracuda, is that big guy still stalking people near the buoy at Invisibles?

Dan and Bill,

I always wonder whether turtles or parrotfish do the greater damage. Certainly more than divers do.

I believe barracuda got their 'bad name' from trying to take fish from the stringers carried by spear fishermen, i.e., attacking the fish not the man. Or attacking shiny regulators in murky water. I don't remember any tales of injury to divers as such. (I wonder if the linked 'attack' happened because the 'cuda felt trapped in the cave by the divers and was just trying to escape??? There didn't seem to be an actual 'bite'.)

Down on Cozumel years ago we went snorkeling at lunch time just off the beach. Not a fish to be seen until I took out my knife and wiggled it back and forth. Instant giant 'cuda. Put the knife away, no 'cuda. Anyone can do that same thing in Bonaire water. :–)

Good points Glen. From the description it seemed the barracuda seemed cornered.

Here is a nice guy - posed quietly:

You want to think scary? Consider a 6 foot Damsel Fish!

Yep - Attack of the Damselfish. Sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock movie to me............