Barracuda - Tiger of the Sea
These mean looking fish with a body that resembles a torpedo and a protruding lower jaw with jutting razor sharp teeth can be intimidating. After all, they have evolved over millions of years to be such efficient hunters. They are known for their seemingly unsatiable appetite, and boy do they move fast!
I had a wonderful encounter with these creatures once. Just jumped into the water near Sipadan Island and on descending, realized that I was descending right into the centre of a small school of barracudas. As I descended further, it formed a circle around me and just stayed out of reach. The encounter was brief but what a wonderful feeling. However, bragging rights goes to another diver friend of mine. In one of his dive trips he was enveloped in a mass of barracudas. So many that it blocked most of the sunlight from the surface. He described it as like a wall that surrounds him, swirling slowly. Intimidating because he knows what these fish can do, exciting at the same time.
Hmm. Maybe I’ll have better luck next time.
Avoid wearing jewelry if you expect to encounter barracudas. They sometimes mistake the jewelry for food.
The Barracuda is from the Sphyraenidae family of the order Perciformes.
Learn more about barracudas at fishbase.