Barracuda

[Kellygurlz74]

And no, I'm not talking about the kicking song by Heart....LOL

I've heard & seen there are barracudas in the tropical waters of nassau & castaway cay. I have a concern with this....is this true? and how safe are the crystal blue waters & if they are there, what in the world do I do & not do!

any suggestions ?

 

[joanb]

I got a picture one while swimming in the lagoon.

 

[Kellygurlz74]

what in the world am I suppose to be aware of? I don't want to get attacked!
are they scary? are they huge? how safe is it?
were you freaked out?

sorry, just a little nervous!

 

[perdidobay]

Here is a photo I took of Barry out in Serenity Bay. Nature's critters big and small are all over. You gots to be careful when in their home.

 

[hightown]

I'm by no means an expert but in my scuba days, was told that basically you leave them alone and they leave you alone. Was also told that there are very, very few reports of barracuda attacking a diver or swimmer.

If no one answers who knows for sure, check with Disney crew.

There were tons when we dived in Cozemul. Beautiful fish.

 

[Kellygurlz74]

ok, so if I rent the floaties or go snorkeling, as long as I don't splash around & go chasing after them (which by no means I won't!) they will leave me alone. It's just freaking me out. any place there that I won't run into them?????????
besides land.......

 

[fairytalelover]

Barracudas are very very dangerous sea creatures. And yes they are in the waters of the Bahamas. Here is more info about them:

http://www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/barracud.html

 

[Kellygurlz74]

Oh my goodness!
It said they like to hide in shallow dark places under things. they are attracted to shiny things. I guess that means no jewelry wearing on the beach & I'm painting my camera black to not reflect on anything.
they are unattractive looking things!

 

[fairytalelover]

Yes they are really scary looking. It's always a good idea to not wear anything shiny or any kind of jewlery in the water. Another tip I read about sharks and barracudas is to try to avoid swimming if you are on your period. Personally, I am too afraid of sharks and barracudas to go into the water too much. I might get my feet wet for a bit but I will be mostly on the shore tanning and I like to leave my swimming for the safety of the pools. I like my limbs where they are.

 

[burma]

As a diver ... the Mantra goes

Your are visitor in their enviorment .... you are there to observe ... any sea creature can be dangerous. Do not chase , Do not Feed (dont even bring a bag of bread for the small fish they can attract big fish common sense) and most of all dont LITTER. They will leave you alone if you leave them alone I have swam in schools of barracuda and have had no problem. My first dive ever was in the Bahamas and there are some great things to see. Enjoy the water but respect its residence.

 

[fairytalelover]

. Enjoy the water but respect its residence.

I respect its residents but that doesnt guarantee that they respect me. I dont think too many sharks and barracudas are aware of the mantra.

 

[gouodux]

Didn't see any at the time in Castaway Cay. However, went diving off of Key West and saw four or five schools of ten or so at a time. They didn't bother us, we just left them alone.

In Jamaica we were diving around 60 feet and saw quite a few sharks. Again, the didn't seem to even notice us.

 

[Kellygurlz74]

Oh I totally respect the enviroment & their habitats! I'd love to go diving, but need the certification. (someday in the future!) I'm just scared & nervous.
I'm going with 2 friends on this trip & would love to get my own picture of them- as far away as possible from my little toes!
Definitely, no shiny things & will be calm at Serenity Bay. : )

 

[joanb]

When I took my photo in the lagoon I didn't even know what it was-I was just taking pictures of all the fish I saw and when I got home I used the internet to ID them. I got pretty close and it just stayed in one of the dome things.

 

[tvguy]

I was more concerned about the alligators in Florida than the Barricudas at Castaway Cay.

 

[mmouse37]

My hubby and son took the fishing excursion at Castaway Cay in January and these are pics of what they caught (see link)....another on the ship caught a 5 foot shark but it broke away as they were reeling it in. My son caught a 30 lb. barracuda.....

http://community.webshots.com/album/249426676dZcBlp/3

Once in webshots....click on any pic to enlarge....

Don't forget...you are in the ocean!! CC does have a shark net around the family beach/snorkel area so no sharks should be getting in.

 

[Kellygurlz74]

I understand they have the nets at the family area, but what about Serenity Bay for the adults only?
I geez....I need a Cabana massage.......

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Serenity Bay is open water (no nets or other forms of "protection" to keep wildlife out. In addition to barracuda, sharks, sting rays, and several other forms of wildlife can be found. Here's my picture of a shark (I'd guess about 6' long) taken while snorkelling Serenity bay (for those of you who have not seen the picture before, look in the lower left for the outline of the shark) Shark Picture

 

[perdidobay]

Wow MJ, I loved that close up shot of the barricudas teeth!

 

[jjgarv]

I also saw Barry while snorkeling in Serenity Bay... At first I freaked out and stood up to yell for my husband (who, of course, was a half mile away following a sting ray!), and tried to remember if I should stay very still or try to scare it away. I decided to duck back under the water to keep my eye on my new friend... He just sat very still in the water and then swam away. To this day, my husband jokes that I didn't really see a barracuda, so I'm thrilled to show him this thread... (I think he's jealous that he didn't get to see it!)

Anyway, I have snorkled in Serenity Bay since that incident, and have not seen Barry again. Can't wait to snorkle there again in October!!!

Jennifer