Barracudas, sometimes called cudas are large, predatory, ray-finned fishes that
are notorious for their fearsome appearance and aggressive behavior. They are saltwater fishes
that are found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. They like to stay near the surface of
the water and in coastal areas. This, combined with their peculiar appearance, has made them
a target for sports fishing enthusiasts. Barracudas are scavengers and may mistake
snorkelers for large predators, following them hoping to eat the remains of their prey.
Sometimes, they even bite divers, but this usually happens following cases of poor visibility.
Another way barracudas can be dangerous is through a toxin known as ciguatera toxin.
This can be found in the tissues of fishes such as the barracuda, moray eel, and sea bass. By
consuming this ciguatera toxin, people can experience symptoms such as hypotension,
dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and temperature reversal. Ciguatera poisoning
usually happens when very large barracudas are eaten without being cooked properly.
#9. Nadine Cloer injured in a barracuda attack The year was 1993 and the location was Miami,
Florida. Nadine Cloer, a woman from Tampa, took a break from her school bus driving job
to spend the week in a rented houseboat. She was fishing with her husband, two of her sisters,
and a brother-in-law. What happened was that her brother-in-law hooked a 5-foot-long barracuda
and Nadine saw it pass under the boat. The whole group got excited, and Nadine rushed into the
cabin to grab a video camera before the fish got away. As she was walking out of the deck,
a much larger barracuda emerged from the water and lunged at her. The 8-feet-long fish jumped between
12 to 15 feet into the air to accomplish this. This resulted in Nadine needing 200 stitches
as treatment. #8. Fifteen people
fall sick from Ciguatera poisoning On March 1, 2016, 9 tourists visited Saipan,
the largest island in the Northern Marina Islands. The tourists visited a local Chinese restaurant
and decided to order barracuda from the menu. They chose with meal along with 6 locals. As it turns
out, the barracuda was not well done and was heavy with ciguatera toxins. As such, all fell sick and
began to experience symptoms like dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains.
#7. Kevin Faver avoids a leaping barracuda The incident took place on May 6, 2012, in St.
Augustine, Florida. Captain Kevin Faver, producer and host of the Tails from The Outdoors Show was
on a fishing boat with co-host Bill Pollackav. They were filming for their show when the event
happened, with Kevin Faver operating the camera and Bill Pollackav operating the fishing rod.
Bill caught onto something big and was straining against its weight. They could see flashes of
silver on the surface of the water and started to get excited. Then, out of nowhere, the 40-pound
barracuda burst out of the water in the direction of Bill. Luckily, he was able to dodge out of the
way before it hit him. It continued to flap inside the boat right up until it died.
#6. Maggy Whitehouse faces off against a Barracuda
In 1989, Maggy Whitehouse s husband of just one year died, leaving her depressed and suicidal.
Six weeks after that, she decided to visit Australia to spend some time in Cairns,
with her friends. On the second day of her visit, she went to the barrier reef to do
some snorkeling. Before they got into the water, the ship that ferried them warned
them to avoid the deep water since two divers were killed by a giant barracuda
some weeks ago. Absent-minded Maggy ignored these instructions. She swam around the boat where she
came face to face with the large, black barracuda. Even though her instincts were telling her to run,
a voice in her head told her to face the creature. She swam straight at it and yelled underwater,
frightening the creature. It then swam off, and Maggy was able to take a picture
before it went away completely. #5. Man loses fingers in a barracuda attack
In the coastal waters of San Francisco. A man, who withheld his name to protect his privacy,
went snorkeling with his friend from Panama Gabriel Despaigne, and his 13-year-old daughter,
Marina. While in the water, they caught sight of a 6-foot-long barracuda. It had a distinct pale
creamy back and although it was aware of them, it wasn t moving. The man eventually got bored
of the barracuda and started to swim towards his daughter, who was drifting away from the group.
On the way, there was a stunning blow to his hand, but he never quite saw what hit him.
The ocean began to pool with blood, and, afraid it might attract some sharks, he started yelling for
help from boats sailing by. Eventually, they were noticed and rescued. When the wound was attacked,
the man realized that he had lost his little finger and the side of his hand forever.
#4. Barracuda tears Bobby Martin s arm open This incident happened in the Florida Keys as
well, just a day before Nadine Cloer was attacked by a barracuda. Phil Shields, a Manatee County
charter captain had taken 47-year-old Bobby Martin and friends to catch snapper 15 miles
west of Anna Maria Island. While Bobby and his friends were fishing, an enormous barracuda,
perhaps the same one that attacked Nadine Cloer, leaped out of the ocean with its mouth open,
flew over Captain Shields head, and landed right on Bobby Martin s arm. With the full
force of its 40 pounds, the barracuda knocked Martin off a bench and tore open his left
arm. The barracuda fell off and then started thrashing the boat, causing lots of commotion.
Only after it calmed down did everyone notice the blood, and the extent of Martin s injury. He was
taken to Bradenton's HCA L.W. Blake Memorial Hospital and treated with 24 stitches.
#3. Katarina Saez saves man following barracuda bite
This is yet another incident that took place in the Florida Keys. Katarina Saez,
who was onboard a boat, observed everything as well. It was her swift action that caused the
victim to be saved. A couple of people, including the bite victim, were snorkeling in the water.
The victim was on vacation to celebrate his 30th wedding anniversary. While he was snorkeling,
there was a school of bait fish swimming near the surface. Some other snorkelers were worried
this would attract sharks and even claimed that they had sighted a few. Before anyone could make
sense of the situation, the man was attacked by a large barracuda and not a shark. His knee began
to bleed, and he was struggling in the water. At that point, Katarina, a registered nurse,
yelled to draw others attention so he could be helped out of the water and treated by her.
#2. Man gets ciguatera poisoning from eating barracuda
This story highlights alternative ways barracudas can be dangerous, other than attacks on humans.
Nathan H Lents had visited a tiny island off the coast of Honduras named Utila.
After an encounter with a giant barracuda while swimming, he developed a taste for its flesh
and decided to visit a seafood place with his friends to try it out. After eating a barracuda
stake and going to bed, Lents woke up deep in the night with stomach pain and diarrhea.
Even though these short-term symptoms vanished the next day, the long-term symptoms persisted.
This included muscle pain and an inability to distinguish between hot and cold.
#1. Karri Larson Impaled by Barracuda In October 2010, Karri Larson and her boyfriend
Michael Hinojosa were kayaking in the Florida Keys. Hinojosa spotted a giant barracuda coming
in their direction at a speed between 40 to 50 miles an hour. It was skipping across the water,
diving in and out repeatedly. After the fish disappeared for a while, Larson and Hinojosa
were wondering where it had gone. Then, it exploded out of the water from their left,
lunging straight at Larson. It ended up opening a hole right through her side,
shattering her lung and causing her rib to be fractured. Hinojosa kept a hand on
her punctured lung and then called emergency services. However, it was the towboat owner
Kevin Freestone who ended up coming for the couple and taking them to safety.
Are you still brave enough to swim in waters with Barracudas?