Scuba diver casually swims along within inches of two gigantic barracuda

4 years ago
7.23K

Scuba diving opens a door to an incredible world, full of beauty, wonder, and danger. The animals in this underwater domain are both fascinating and frightening at the same time. They have adapted to life in a hostile world where predators can become prey and the balance can shift in an instant.
Barracuda are a good example of the creatures that can be frightening for some. These Great Barracuda are almost six feet long and they have powerful jaws full of formidable looking teeth. As large as those of a giant breed dog, but much sharper, and more numerous, the mouth of a Great Barracuda could easily sever a human's hand if it felt threatened. But barracuda attacks are extremely rare, and almost always the result of confusion rather than aggression. In most cases, human error is the cause. In the ocean, improper behaviour can have immediate and severe consequences.

This scuba diver was exploring the reef in the the Cayman Islands when he noticed that two large barracuda were circling him and his wife curiously. With no sign of aggression, the two large fish swam around the divers and passed within inches, several times. At one point, the diver was unable to resist the temptation to touch one of the large fish. Surprisingly, this contact did not seem to disturb the barracuda at all. With a GoPro on a short pole, this diver casually swam beside and behind the barracuda for more than ten minutes. Capable of extremely quick bursts of speed, these fish could easily have left the area in a flash if the close encounter was not to their liking.

Such a close encounter with two of the ocean's apex predators provides a scuba diver with an unforgettable experience.

Loading 10 comments...