You know that Barracuda in the Virgin Islands are usually loaded with ciguatera, right?
Barracuda Attack
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You know that Barracuda in the Virgin Islands are usually loaded with ciguatera, right?
Mandy3206
Contributor
That is right, any cuda bigger than 2ft here in PR is almost certain to have ciguatera, but for some reason the ones in the Mona Passage seems to be free of it, fishermen fishing this waters have eat them for yrs without problems, but they don't eat the ones near PR or the rest of the carribean.
The one on the pic was eaten by 25 or more people with no problems to anyone, I just took a few bites risking the illness, but nothing happened.
Herk_Man
Contributor
Yes I realize this is a really old thread, but still a lot of fun to read. But let me tell you, snappers are something else. Tried to rescue one from a busy road one time. Was a little over a foot and a half in diameter. I approached him from behind and slid my hands under the sides of his shell.
This is NO exaggeration. This turtle jumped a foot in the air while doing a 180 degree turn and came within a centimeter of taking my finger off! I was absolutely stunned by its athletic ability. My son however was literally on his knees in the ditch by the side of the road holding his sides laughing.
I left Mr. Snappy to fend for himself. He did make it off the side of the road though.
Great posts...
It seems to be a geographical fear also. When I was teaching, nearly all of the students were concerned about sharks those from the US were anxious about Baracudas.
It seems to be a geographical fear also. When I was teaching, nearly all of the students were concerned about sharks those from the US were anxious about Baracudas.
Here's a story of an incident that I personally witnessed: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/5200910-post30.html
Fortunately the diver who caught the barracuda's attention in this case wasn't bitten.
Another Egyptian dive instructor who I know has a really nasty scar on his calf muscle from a barracuda bite he received, although IIRC he was fishing and not diving when it happened.
R..
Fortunately the diver who caught the barracuda's attention in this case wasn't bitten.
Another Egyptian dive instructor who I know has a really nasty scar on his calf muscle from a barracuda bite he received, although IIRC he was fishing and not diving when it happened.
R..
I saw this thread and thought I should add my story.
I'm a British man who was on holiday with my family in Florida. We were at the beach at Coquina, on Anna María Island, on the 10th August.
We'd seen Manatees a few days earlier and I thought I saw them again above a sand bank within the buoys, but beyond where the other swimmers were at that moment. I swam out, just wearing usual beach type shorts and a pair of normal goggles.
I swam out and as I passed a darker area of water with a little sea grass etc at the bottom and was just about to reach the sand bank something hit me at terrific speed in the neck. I turned around 270 degrees and saw something swim off. My jaw was aching like I'd been punched as hard as possible. I felt down to my neck and thought I had some fish left on me, but actually it was me putting my fingers into my neck! I swam back to the shore bleeding and stunned.
The life guards and paramedics patched me up on the shore paying attention to the main gash in my neck, but not noticing the second puncture in my chin, such was the amount of blood running down my chest.
At the local hospital I was well looked after and given a lot of stitches. It was the staff there that told me that it would have been a Barrcuda attack, as it was one very hard strike with a jaw big enough to reach from my neck to my chin, but not chasing me down for a second attempt (as I'm told a shark may have done with the amount of blood in the water around me).
Your thread here interested me as I've read up since that the reports of these strikes are very infrequent but happen when the waters are warmest in July and August which ties in with this attack.
I'm a British man who was on holiday with my family in Florida. We were at the beach at Coquina, on Anna María Island, on the 10th August.
We'd seen Manatees a few days earlier and I thought I saw them again above a sand bank within the buoys, but beyond where the other swimmers were at that moment. I swam out, just wearing usual beach type shorts and a pair of normal goggles.
I swam out and as I passed a darker area of water with a little sea grass etc at the bottom and was just about to reach the sand bank something hit me at terrific speed in the neck. I turned around 270 degrees and saw something swim off. My jaw was aching like I'd been punched as hard as possible. I felt down to my neck and thought I had some fish left on me, but actually it was me putting my fingers into my neck! I swam back to the shore bleeding and stunned.
The life guards and paramedics patched me up on the shore paying attention to the main gash in my neck, but not noticing the second puncture in my chin, such was the amount of blood running down my chest.
At the local hospital I was well looked after and given a lot of stitches. It was the staff there that told me that it would have been a Barrcuda attack, as it was one very hard strike with a jaw big enough to reach from my neck to my chin, but not chasing me down for a second attempt (as I'm told a shark may have done with the amount of blood in the water around me).
Your thread here interested me as I've read up since that the reports of these strikes are very infrequent but happen when the waters are warmest in July and August which ties in with this attack.
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