Photography and Barracudas
- Thread starter Hory
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
In casy no-one noticed, I'm quite a big fan of barracuda. The ones above were large - up to five feet, 'tis reckoned, although most were around four. I haven't found any barracuda to be particularly troublesome, and I have seen one or two around the world - I read conflicting reports as to how dangerous they actually are. The closest I have come to one being a bother was when one of them decided to take a nibble at Kamala's (aka the infamous wreckwench) fin on a safety stop. Attached is a not too great action shot just after it happened...
Note the erect dorsal fin - I'm not sure, but I think that is significant. I'd still dive with em though - best photographic subjects I have ever seen.
Dave
Note the erect dorsal fin - I'm not sure, but I think that is significant. I'd still dive with em though - best photographic subjects I have ever seen.
Dave
chippy
Contributor
I managed to get very close to a Great Barra a month or so ago on Cades Reef in Antigua.
This was a real old bruiser, we estimated, when we were back on the boat, as it being about 5 foot. I took LOADS of pics of him/her using my strobe, gradually getting closer and closer until the final shot was a full frame head shot - a couple of feet perhaps. The barra just gently cruised off after the final shot.
Anyway, here's a few of the shots (sorry didn't have the full frame headshot uploaded on my site):-
This was a real old bruiser, we estimated, when we were back on the boat, as it being about 5 foot. I took LOADS of pics of him/her using my strobe, gradually getting closer and closer until the final shot was a full frame head shot - a couple of feet perhaps. The barra just gently cruised off after the final shot.
Anyway, here's a few of the shots (sorry didn't have the full frame headshot uploaded on my site):-
cardzard
Contributor
Very nice picture all, Thanks for sharing its always nice to see underwater picts.
plsdiver4377
Guest
- Messages
- 399
- Reaction score
- 1
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
Here's one I got up close and personal with at a place called the Outer Patches in the Keys. I love taking pictures of these guys.
http://allenhost.com/gallery/album134/aap
http://allenhost.com/gallery/album134/aap
It didn't surprise me in the slightest to see that the fins in question were Mares Volos. They're what I wear, and they definitely seem to have an attraction for barracuda. I'm assuming it is the metallic shine they appear to have, especially at safety stop depth when they catch sun-gleams.
I love barracuda and have been very close to them many times without a problem. Like with sharks, any 'attack' is almost certainly a mistake on their part, or a reaction to bleeding fish or direct provocation. All of my encounters are with great barracuda, and they have without exception proven to be calm and curious, and often let you approach astonishingly close, or else approach you astonishingly closely, sometimes to your great surprise.
I like the shots that show their colors, not just the reflections.
Mandrake, we've had the same experiences with them. There have been a couple of instances where we would find one with hook and monofiliment line tangled and caught on something. Both 'Cudas allowed us , without thrashing in fear or attacking, to get close enough to snip the line and release them. I find them facinating.
Mandrake, we've had the same experiences with them. There have been a couple of instances where we would find one with hook and monofiliment line tangled and caught on something. Both 'Cudas allowed us , without thrashing in fear or attacking, to get close enough to snip the line and release them. I find them facinating.
Similar threads
