Russian guy bitten by 4ft barracuda red sea

Jobs_a_ good_ un

Jobs_a_ good_ un

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Just got back from Sharm el sheik
Sunday morning heard some screaming and shouting from someone snorkelling off the reef hands flying everywhere head going in and out of water like something out of jaws
guys jump in speed boat out dead fast pulled guy from water
hugh bite mark on his arm
bit of a shocker never heard of a barracuda attacking anyone before
He was ok just a bit shocked
 
Ooh er, I remember coming face to face with one of those b*****ds whilst snorkeling in the Carib and they're about 1/3 teeth and 2/3 body. I can well believe they can take a chunk out of a human although, as you say, it's very unusual
 
I used to read old diving books from the 40's and 50's when a kid. Jacque Cousteau and the like (my uncle was an early leisure diver, and had dozens of them) and Barracudas were more feared than sharks in those days, so not unknown.

On the other hand, my father was a pilot in WWII, and flying a Liberator across Egypt, he and his crew used to make the most of staying in a seaside hotel that was being used for flight crew. Every morning they stayed there, they went for early morning dip in the sea water swimming pool, fed directly from the sea.

One morning after a bad storm, they went running out to dive into the pool, to have one of the hotel staff waving his arms and yelling madly. On closer inspection, there was a shark in the pool
 
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On closer inspection, there was a shark in the pool

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Happens in Sydney very occasionally where they have the sea pools on the beaches, which fill up every day at high tide. Always check for sharks first.
 
Not uncommon baracuda bites, especially if you inadvertently get amongst them when they are scoffing, teeth everwhere!! Good eating they are as well, so maybe it was retaliation!
 
Interesting. I have been diving in the Red Sea and off Palm Beach for nearly twenty years and have never seen or heard of such an attack on divers...fishermen however, are another subject.
As far as eating them is concerned, Barracuda are one of the most prolific carriers of Ciguatera in reef fish. I met an Egyptian boat skipper who had been poisoned like this and he had strange symptoms where a boiled kettle, for instance, would feel cold and ice-cubes hot. He'd been like that for ten years. Apart from that, they've lots of bones....
 
Stay away from Titan Triggerfish too - they're a bit protective of their nests as I found out. It didn't actually hit the camera but did get my fins.

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Rick
 
I saw loads in the caribbean but never had a prob with them. The biggest I saw was a five footer who swam up and looked at me when I was diving off Saba...I did feel a tad nervous but after a long (well it felt long!) look he swam off. Saw lots of other big fishes there too.
 
I caught one of them - a 5-footer - off Ft Lauderdale a few years back. Fearsome beast. As it thrashed about on the boat deck displaying its vicious teeth, I got out of tha way and let the crew deal with it!
 
Heard about a similar incident before - investigation finding was that a shiny watch had attracted the attention of the barracuda which had decided to "sample" it, got blood and obviously thought "lunch" . Victim had major blood loss due to ripped artery
 
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