Barracuda Attack

[stinkynewf]

But it's supposed to be shark week?

Girl mauled by barracuda, recovering

 

[alewar]

Poor kid. I wonder if she was wearing some sort of ring, watch or any other shiny thing and that hand.

 

[burliosully]

many many moons ago I recieved a silver watch for graduating eighth grade. That year I went snorkeling for the first time in J.C. Pennekamp park and a barracuda chased me all the way back to the boat as fast as I would go. I've learned a lot since then, wish I would have known back then. I feel terrible for this little girl.

 

[z6-panzer]

i was diving at yolanda reef red sea last month and me and the dive guide was watching a motionless barracuda when it started to slowly angle upwards...it was watching a load of snorkellers clattering across the surface ...i wondered at the time that it must have been interested with all them brightly coloured bits flashing about...hmmm

 

[htn123]

The front of my hybrid gun has a silver shade that looks like a bunch of minnows. I was diving with my kids in Tampa. A cuda was stalking my girl and kept on eyeing my gun. I gave a first push, it peeled off and then turned around. I shoved it the second time, it ran away and come back again and got really close this time. Well, the third time, I gave it the permanent headache!!! . Btw, cuda meat is really, really tasty ;0

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

idiocsteve, did you happen to click on the link and read the story?

Just because the word attack is not in the article I think it was accurate for the OP to use that word. It probably should be in a non-diving forum but attack it was.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Yes she was bit by a Cuda because somebody was FEEDING the cudas bagels.

 

[Zen1300]

Interesting... shiny objects. I wonder just how often an incident like this occurs with a barracuda and a shiny object. Is it more prevalent in extremities - rings, bracelets, watches? Have there been incidents involving earrings, D-Rings, Masks or other reflective objects on the person?

 

[Cthilburg]

Interesting... shiny objects. I wonder just how often an incident like this occurs with a barracuda and a shiny object. Is it more prevalent in extremities - rings, bracelets, watches? Have there been incidents involving earrings, D-Rings, Masks or other reflective objects on the person?

I am not sure but I was thinking about this attraction as I looked at regulators at a local shop here in Tampa. One of the second stages had a chrome polish finish to it and made me' think twice...

The shop mgr told me' that shiny objects attracting cudas etc is a myth... Being a fisherman and having a lot of siver baits that slay fish I'm not convinced and went in another direction.

?

 

[bsee65]

Call it an attack or not. Next you'll be quoting Webster and looking up the word "is". The important thing is that the barracuda struck the girl. The important thing is to understand why. The important thing, at least as far as threads in this particular forum is concerned, is to figure out how not to come to the same result yourself. You call it what you like, I'll call it an attack and you won't change my mind with board warrioring or semantic games.

In every in-water barracuda vs. human incident I have heard about, there's benn some trigger. Shining a light at the fish or, more often, wearing a shiny metal object that the fish mistakes for a baitfish. That doesn't mean every incident has come as a result of one of these two causes, just all of which I am aware. I have seen much speculation that a shiny object was involved in this case, but I don't recall reading any confirmation.