Barracuda Encounter - Will I be Dinner?

[Flutter]

We are shore diving in the Caymans; our last day is tomorrow. We have been seeing/being followed by several rather large barracuda. We have seen them in FL Keys, Bonaire, Curacao, but we have NOT been PURSUED by them. Is there a proper behavior when 1 or 2 big fellows decide to follow closely (2' -12') during a dive - pretty much the entire dive (to our safety stop)? Some of you may be in heaven with this close encounter - me, I'd rather they be the friendly groupers also known to follow divers in this area (we've had them close beside us, too, this week; but not when the barracuda are hanging around).
I am not wearing any jewelry, but my fins are bright yellow/black/white Mares X-Streams & we have a Silver Go Pro that we end up covering, during most of the dives once the barracuda show up.
I enjoy a fascinating dive seeing critters everywhere amidst the reef, but I really don't want to be dinner. (Today's fellow nearly took a bite out of a sizeable snapper that was also swimming with us. I hoped the barracuda would swim off with the snapper, & not return, but 15 seconds later it turned around & grinned - oh, boy). And yeah, we were staying pretty close to the bottom & moving at a regular pace, except for when he got his mouth near our fins. Then we stopped and faced him, & it backed off to circle us & then return behind us again. Most of that dive was looking over my shoulder. . . I'm guessing this is a territorial behavior. ? Any ideas?
(On a dive boat, I only have to be faster than the next guy).

We are enjoying a fabulous time, however. Great diving here.

 

[CuzzA]

I'm guessing this is a territorial behavior. ?

Nah, if it looks tasty they'll shred it. Don't have things on you that look tasty.

Barracuda Attack

As a DM I was helping an instructor with a group of five divers on a night dive at Utila Honduras, 2-22-03, about 7:45 PM. The dive had been uneventful, routine night dive. We had been to about 60' following sand contour where it meets the reef and looking at all the creatures, etc. We worked our way along the sand to shallow water about 20' deep. We had come about 5' off the bottom and were beginning our safety stop. Boom!!!! I thought I had been hit by a boat that I did not hear coming. I was bordering on unconciousness and mentally talking to my self to remain concious. I sank to the sand where I recovered my regulator and purged. My mask remined on my face but was flooded and would only clear to the bridge of my nose. Full of blood and salt water. I could see, was concious and remained cool. Within seconds the instructor was in front of me and signaled if I was OK. Obviously I signaled something was wrong but I was OK. What a great guy. He did everything we have both been trained to do by the book. He was not sure of my condition or how long I could remain concious so he immediately got behind me and did an unconcious diver surface. Pretty cool, Huh? Upon surfacing, I asked him what had hit me. He said I had been attacked by a barracuda. (He had seen the attack) We had about 50 meters to swim to the boat. With BCD inflated I was able to make it to the boat. Got to the boat, got in, signaled all the other divers up and away we went to the first aid station at the hyperbaric chamber on Utila. What happened: For over 40 years of diving, some commercial, I have always worn dark equipment. Within the three months preceding the attack, my wife and I had bought totally clear silicon masks. Great masks. Jeff, the instructor, had the fish in his light and the barracuda was posturing and acting very agressively. As Jeff moved his light off the fish, the animal exploded into my face and mask. The lower jaw struck my regulator, knocking it from my mouth. The upper jaw struck my mask in the area of the corner of my right eye. Teeth from the upper jaw tore thru the mask and through my nose, cutting two small arteries. (I lost a ton of blood) The personnel at the first aid station were not able to stop the bleeding. They finally sent for Jose Guerra, a Cuban Doctor woking in the public health clinic to help. He immediatly learned I speak Spanish and twenty minutes later he had most of the arterial bleeding stopped and had sewed me up. It took me two more days to get back to Houston. Thanks also go out to my wife, Ann an EFR trained AOW diver. The rest of this adventure is also somewhat interesting. I sure do appreciate the interest from all of you. I'll finish the saga in other updates. I have seen thousands of barracuda. Have speared and eaten my fair share. The largest I have ever seen was a little over seven feet and probably went 110 or 115 lbs. This was off the north coast of Venezuela. a ten or twelve foot barracuda would be a spectacular sight!!! Steroids, anyone?? Again, I appreciate all the interest, I'll finish the strory and try to answer any questions. As a newby to this board, it appears to me that is what it is about. Besafe, ya'll.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

There isn't anything in the water that thinks you look tasty (unless you're diving with your S.O., I presume...).
The stuff about jewelry causing attacks is urban myth.
Read this. Now go back and dive with the barracuda some more. They're cool.

 

[Flutter]

@CuzzA , so what makes us look tasty?

Pretty basic gear - Black wetsuit/booties/bc/black hair. Same with my husband except he is a blond with blue/black Mares fins, (& I have the yellow/black Mares fins).

Are you recommending "calling the dive" when this behavior exists?

@Dirty-Dog , thanks. I did read that. Still hoping we don't have a big guy follow us tomorrow.

 

[TMHeimer]

I wouldn't return to that situation, but many here also know I hope never to encounter a shark of any kind. Most will say you're not on the menu, so enjoy them. I'm not most.

 

[drrich2]

Strictly speculation; I wonder if they're accustomed to following lion fish hunters?

I've been in the water with big barracuda, but I haven't had a big one following me.

Richard.

 

[Steve_C]

Like a lot of predators barracudas are smart and look for distracted pray. Was diving once on a wreck in NC. My budy was about 15 ft away and we were both looking at the bottom. I started to laugh. He had a BIG cuda hanging about 5 inches above his tank and peering over his shoulder. They swam like this for about 10 minutes. Cuda was hoping that buddy would scare up some fish that in their hurry to get away from buddy would become cuda dinner. (Have seen other fish do that too).

They are curious and they hang out near things that might scare up food. If you have ever seen them strike you would know they are very quick.

 

[Marie13]

Nope.

 

[Steve_C]

Only got nervous once. Was snorkeling by myself in Bermuda and saw a pair of large cudas hanging near a coral head. i eased over to get a closer look. Instead of turning to watch me as they often do, they turned sideways, opened their mouths, and started to put on some sort of display. Not speaking fluent cuda I took that as a do not get closer and we have bigger teeth than you display and I eased off the other way.

 

[CuzzA]

While I wouldn't be overly concerned and abort a dive, my point was merely don't do things that could trigger a response.

While that article above has some merit, I also question some of their statements. "Only 25 attacks in the past 100 years" ??? Hell you could probably find 25 on this site alone. lol

I'll call bs on shinny things being a myth. Wanna attract one to spear it? Use a flasher.

Here's an unprovoked attack... Probably from a reflection off the camera or a light.