Stingray City Barracuda Attack

[NW Dive Dawg]

This incident always sticks in my mind when looking at large Barracuda.
Understandably this was this fishes reaction to being shot with a 7mm piece of steel
It is an old post so some links dont work but the graphic image still shows. under any circumstances you do not want to be bitten by a large fish.

WARNING THIS LINK CONTAINS A GRAPHIC IMAGE

"He could have bled out, we nearly lost him"

WARNING: GRAPHICS PICTURES. Adreno has received this news story from a Yeppoon, Queensland customer. They have asked that names not be included. We have posted before about the dangers associated with spearing Barracuda, but we hope these pictures and the experience of these spearos over the...

spearfishing.com.au

Wow...... scary incident for sure and very lucky that the diver lived through it.. When you enter an environment where you are no longer on the top of the food chain and then choose to kill a well equipped and skilled predator......then the animal most definitely has the right to defend itself.

 

[drrich2]

But the barracuda was charging and the startled spear fisherman shot it in reflexive self defense. From the article: “All three of us had been in the water for about 10 minutes when, out of nowhere, a medium sized Barracuda of about 10-12kg rushed at me so quickly that I freaked out and just pulled the trigger on it.”

 

[johndiver999]

I wonder if this is a risk that's under appreciated in our hobby, and oceanic watersports. If you ever go looking for various critters, on land or in the water, whether snakes, lizards, crabs, eels, whatever, it's a good idea to seek out some structure. Out in the unsheltered open is hazardous to prey, and has slim food pickings for predators. Both gravitate toward shelter.

On a North Carolina trip years ago, I see 2 big barracuda not far below the rigging under the dive boat. Just far enough to be out of the way and not worrisome, as they didn't both me, but scary just because they were so large. On the boat one way, watched a fisherman in a nearby boat reel a small one in.

I've seen some online reports where feeding was known or suspected as a factor driving attacks. I'm not automatically against feeding wildlife, I've participated in shark feeding dives (just as an observer of course), but I judge on a case-by-case basis, and I've come to think diver-fed barracuda are a risk based on reports.

Some of us got most of our pre-diving water experience on boats in freshwater, such as on fishing trips on lakes or rivers. If you wanted to splash with your feet, rinse something off, or just thrust your hand into the water to see how far under you could still see it, no problem.

If barracuda are drawn to boats, docks and piers (I've seen a small one by a pier), that might be a bad idea. Wonder how many fishermen gut/clean fish and toss scraps out of boats? And whether the barracuda learn to associate boats with food hitting the water?

Thanks for the heads up that maybe splashing that way isn't a good idea. Years ago I saw a video where a barracuda hit a yellow snapper and sliced it in half so smoothly it looked guillotined.

Your concerns are real, but some sharks are much more dangerous and unpredictable than cuda, particularly in clear water. Also, in my experience, sharks are much more likely to aggressively take scraps of food, guts etc.

Cuda are stimulated by struggling fish, motion and probably flashing. I have never seen them take "exploratory" bites on inanimate objects, however this is not that unusual for some sharks.

Also, sharks LOVE to eat cuda, makes for great bait for sharks - Their skin and mucus is pretty stinky and I guess sharks love that.

Also sharks will more commonly attack large things, I have speared lots of fish around cuda and they will only attack relatively small fish, ones they can easily cut in half with an open mouth. Sharks on the other hand..

 

[chris kippax]

But the barracuda was charging and the startled spear fisherman shot it in reflexive self defense. From the article: “All three of us had been in the water for about 10 minutes when, out of nowhere, a medium sized Barracuda of about 10-12kg rushed at me so quickly that I freaked out and just pulled the trigger on it.”

I have always been a bit suspect on this part of the report.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

But the barracuda was charging and the startled spear fisherman shot it in reflexive self defense. From the article: “All three of us had been in the water for about 10 minutes when, out of nowhere, a medium sized Barracuda of about 10-12kg rushed at me so quickly that I freaked out and just pulled the trigger on it.”

Hey Rich..... I really dig all of your posts and actually you are one my favorites here on the Board..... so please don't take this to be at all judgmental about your post...... but I just think there is something very "fishy" about this story of a charging barracuda then some miraculous spontaneous self defence shot. If the cuda was actually attacking with intent to kill then it would have been like trying to hit a bolt of lightning with a rock... and the luckiest shot ever. I would not want to be in the water with a diver with a speargun and an "ichy" trigger finger.

I think it's more likely that this guy just shot a cuda that was approaching to investigate and then it was game on and the cuda rightfully so got his or her own shot on the shooter.. I wasn't there so could be totally wrong and if I am then I apologize to the story teller.... But based on my many encounters with cudas.....as I am sure you have had...... the story just seems "fishy"!

 

[drrich2]

but I just think there is something very "fishy" about this story of a charging barracuda then some miraculous spontaneous self defence shot. If the cuda was actually attacking with intent to kill then it would have been like trying to hit a bolt of lightning with a rock... and the luckiest shot ever.

Very true. It may be that the barracuda was heading his way quickly, but nowhere near their top speed. It could've moved in to investigate something, assert territory, who knows? Maybe it'd seen spear fishermen before and had an easy meal at their expense, and was excited to see these guys. I've seen an account elsewhere where someone described a barracuda covering a distance very fast when they weren't paying attention; it was like all of a sudden, it was 'just there,' very close. Also, @chillyinCanada earlier in this thread described this scene:

I saw the cuda swing around and start to speed up straight for the head of a young female diver. The guide was next to her. No one else noticed. I was pointing and kicking as fast as I could. Finally, the guide noticed my behaviour snd started to turn his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the cuda and mere inches from her head, batted it away by bringing up his arm fast to protect her. Fortunately, the cuda backed off and stayed backed off.

It was speeding up, but she still had time to react and get a guide's attention.

I think it's more likely that this guy just shot a cuda that was approaching to investigate and then it was game on and the cuda rightfully so got his or her own shot on the shooter..

Possible. It's a tragic situation. Guy #1 shot the barracuda (allegedly in perceived self-defense). Now it's on his spear line. Guy #2 went down to put another shot in it (after a minute or 2 of fighting); it's not clear whether Guy #2 ever shot it, because it covered about 10 meters 'in the blink of an eye' and nailed his arm.

so please don't take this to be at all judgmental about your post......

No offense taken! I agree, it's an odd description - shooting a barracuda at full speed sounds like grabbing an arrow out of the air.