BARRACUDA BITE on HALF MOON CAY?

[firemanbobswife]

I don't know if this is close enough to tell, but I though when I took this picture it was a barracuda. I took this in shallow waters at Jalousie beach in St. Lucia. Can anyone say if it is or not?

 

 

 

 

 

Yep

[dperki1]

Yep

 

 

Thank-you!! I was snorkeling and when I saw it, scared me to death, but then you know after back-peddling in the water I thought...I need pics!! lol :D:eek:

[firemanbobswife]

Thank-you!! I was snorkeling and when I saw it, scared me to death, but then you know after back-peddling in the water I thought...I need pics!! lol :D:eek:

 

 

I would have done the same thing [emoji3]

[winddawn]

Great video! Okay, I hafta admit I laughed when it was "happening" but then I saw the aftermath and was WOW.

 

Honestly, that is the greatest vacation story EVER as that 1 ups everything!!

 

Example... you're @ an event and someone is all "OMG our plane had some turbulence and it knocked me out of my seat"... out comes the barracuda story.

 

"Wow, that sounds like it was really scary but my foot was chewed off and re-attached (yes you embellish a little) after I was attacked my a barracuda while I was caught in a rip current after I saved 3 special needs children from the same rip current (little embellishment again)."

 

Best vacation story EVER!

I think when the video shows blood in the water, and the gaping wound, and then the resulting multiple stiches.

 

Well.....that kind of speaks for itself.

[winddawn]

I've got the Private Oasis in September. This has me thinking very differently about the Carnival employees that were hanging out in the corner of the PO last time (2014), tossing food to the fish, drawing fish from all around (and probably the fish that want to eat those fish:eek:) to the base of the PO, where our group spent the day in the water.:( I really didn't think much about it at the time, even though DH and I have seen barracuda in the waters of the Bahamas many times before.

 

I just hope they don't do it this time. I don't want to be confrontational - I'd feel awkward and like I was being rude if I attempted to ask them to stop doing it:o, but the more I think about it, the more I don't want the fish fed where my family and friends are going to be - especially since my children are going to be there.:(

So you gonna step off the bottom step from the private oasis into the water?

[winddawn]

Windawn, relax, enjoy the water. Barracuda going after humans is extremely rare, don't let a million/1 shot ruin your vacation. Don't forget mosquitos, fire coral, Lion Fish, seriously you are more likely to get into a car accident on the island then getting bitten by a barracuda

Lol. Tell that to the guy with all the stiches. OMG.

[O2Cool]

On my cruise last January, I took the Stingray and Nurse Shark excursion in Belize. There were several large Barracuda in the water with us, just cruising and following our group. When the guide started throwing bait to try to attract the nurse sharks, a seagull came down to steal some of the bait. One large barracuda streaked up and bit it's head off. He didn't eat it, just spit it out and swam away. It was unreal!! I usually just keep an eye on barracuda if they are swimming near when I snorkel and never wear shiny stuff, but I will admit I was somewhat freaked out by this😬

[imluvncruzn]

We've had the Private Oasis a few times at HMC and have seen a barracuda near the rock wall where the Oasis is located. Never bothered us and we were in and out of the water all day. One of the Oasis employees told us they named the barracuda because it's always there but I don't remember what they called it.

[ShakyBeef]

So you gonna step off the bottom step from the private oasis into the water?

 

Oh, definitely. And I'm sure we'll all be going down the water slide several times again, and wading and floating around, and snorkeling, too. But I don't want the fish fed from the PO and I'm going to make sure that my DDs remember to keep their distance if they see a barracuda. And we won't be wearing anything shiny. I just want to take reasonable precautions, not go totally overboard paranoid.:o I plan on totally enjoying every hour of our day at HMC (yet again)!:D

[jbhcw]

Oh, definitely. And I'm sure we'll all be going down the water slide several times again, and wading and floating around, and snorkeling, too. But I don't want the fish fed from the PO and I'm going to make sure that my DDs remember to keep their distance if they see a barracuda. And we won't be wearing anything shiny. I just want to take reasonable precautions, not go totally overboard paranoid.:o I plan on totally enjoying every hour of our day at HMC (yet again)!:D

 

We have the Oasis in January...on Hal...have never thought of this before...we've done it three times before..twice with Carnival and once with Hal..were the employees feeding the fish over near where they do the cooking? I know the last time we were there we had a lifeguard for the day... that was with Hal...and the inflatable water toys had been removed due to a drowning....so sad..think that is why we had the lifeguard...new policy? will be sure to ask that no one feeds the fish...this is just something I have never thought about:eek: and this is why I love cruise critic I am always learning :)

[sanmarcosman]

Barracuda Bites would be a nice addition to The Taste Bar.

[ShakyBeef]

We have the Oasis in January...on Hal...have never thought of this before...we've done it three times before..twice with Carnival and once with Hal..were the employees feeding the fish over near where they do the cooking? I know the last time we were there we had a lifeguard for the day... that was with Hal...and the inflatable water toys had been removed due to a drowning....so sad..think that is why we had the lifeguard...new policy? will be sure to ask that no one feeds the fish...this is just something I have never thought about:eek: and this is why I love cruise critic I am always learning :)

 

The Carnival employees were feeding the fish from inside the PO, in the water-facing corner that is on the same side as the waterslide and stairs into the water. They were on the other side of the waterslide and the massage room, with the bar to their backs. They were not in the back area where the cooking is done - they were inside the PO itself, in the corner. They were in the ocean corner, as opposed to the island corner. [i hope this makes sense. I haven't had my caffeine yet this morning and seem to be having trouble "painting" this picture.:o] And they were tossing the (little pieces of bread, IIRC) food into the water right along the edge of the limestone "shelf" on which the PO is built. At the time I really thought nothing of it. I even happily chatted with them for a little bit. They were just hanging out wasting a little time before the island filled up, I think (this was shortly after we got there on the first tender).

 

I don't know if it's new, but we also had a lifeguard all day. Three different lifeguards (Bahamians, not Carnival crew) took shifts at the PO all day. But they were also watching the whole area, not just the PO. They also played "bouncer" for all the people that would try to enter the PO that were not part of our group, blowing their whistles and pointing to the "Private" sign. This was September 2014. I hadn't heard of any drowning there, how sad.:( We didn't have any inflatables - just the big, blue, foam float mats.

 

I've already shown my DDs (10 and 14) pictures of barracuda as well as a couple of those videos, and informed them that this dangerous fish is present in the waters of HMC and GT (where we are also going on this cruise), and instructed them to steer clear if they spot one. We'll be in the water and we will all surely enjoy ourselves without stressing about it, but I feel it's a good idea to take some sensible precautions to reduce our chances of being attacked.

 

I, too, love CC for things like this - before this thread, I had never thought about barracuda attacks at those ports. Even though I am familiar with the fish and have seen it several times (and have even been on a barracuda fishing trip in Abaco). Thank you, OP, and other contributors, for raising my awareness.:)

[jbhcw]

The Carnival employees were feeding the fish from inside the PO, in the water-facing corner that is on the same side as the waterslide and stairs into the water. They were on the other side of the waterslide and the massage room, with the bar to their backs. They were not in the back area where the cooking is done - they were inside the PO itself, in the corner. They were in the ocean corner, as opposed to the island corner. [i hope this makes sense. I haven't had my caffeine yet this morning and seem to be having trouble "painting" this picture.:o] And they were tossing the (little pieces of bread, IIRC) food into the water right along the edge of the limestone "shelf" on which the PO is built. At the time I really thought nothing of it. I even happily chatted with them for a little bit. They were just hanging out wasting a little time before the island filled up, I think (this was shortly after we got there on the first tender).

 

I don't know if it's new, but we also had a lifeguard all day. Three different lifeguards (Bahamians, not Carnival crew) took shifts at the PO all day. But they were also watching the whole area, not just the PO. They also played "bouncer" for all the people that would try to enter the PO that were not part of our group, blowing their whistles and pointing to the "Private" sign. This was September 2014. I hadn't heard of any drowning there, how sad.:( We didn't have any inflatables - just the big, blue, foam float mats.

 

I've already shown my DDs (10 and 14) pictures of barracuda as well as a couple of those videos, and informed them that this dangerous fish is present in the waters of HMC and GT (where we are also going on this cruise), and instructed them to steer clear if they spot one. We'll be in the water and we will all surely enjoy ourselves without stressing about it, but I feel it's a good idea to take some sensible precautions to reduce our chances of being attacked.

 

I, too, love CC for things like this - before this thread, I had never thought about barracuda attacks at those ports. Even though I am familiar with the fish and have seen it several times (and have even been on a barracuda fishing trip in Abaco). Thank you, OP, and other contributors, for raising my awareness.:)

 

Thanks for all the info..know exactly where you are talking about...I'm trying to remember when we did the cruise...it's been a few years...but we were happy to have the lifeguard...dh enjoyed talking with her...she was Bahamian...and did have an assistant with her. I will definitely let our group know to be aware...and no fish feeding:D I will admit I have fed (bread) the little angel type fish before...not at the Oasis though...pretty sure not a good idea!

Edited August 7, 2016 by jbhcw

[Welsh Lass]

We have just got off the Pride. About 10am on Thurs in Half Moon Cay, everyone was told to get out of the water and the lifeguards went out in a speed boat to search the water. I heard a lifeguards walkie talkie say there was an emergency and to get medics and the buggy. We saw a woman get carried out of the water and loaded onto a golf buggy. People were not allowed back into the sea for a good hour or so after. Whilst I do not know for definate what happened, later that evening we heard several people saying she had been bitten on the leg by a barracuda and would be air lifted to Miami when we docked in Freeport the next day. There was a lady taken off the ship on a stretcher and put in an ambulance the following day, but I do not know if this was the same lady. If the rumours were indeed true, I wish her a speedy recovery.

[ShakyBeef]

Welsh Lass,

 

Thank you for letting us know. How terrible.:( I, too, wish her a speedy recovery.

[tastyfishbait]

We were on the beach as well. It's interesting as we've heard so many versions. First it was a cuda and a man, then it was a nurse shark and a man, then a cuda and a woman. I searched everywhere and never did find anything related to the attack. We all were told to get out of the water which everyone did - except for a couple of young guys who wanted to argue with the life-guards. I did hear that there were a lot of bait fish around him. He may have been feeding them- not sure. They sent three locals out on a boat with spearfish gear and claimed they killed it. But I was watching them and I'm not sure they ever got close. There's a net out there, but one of our group snorkeled along it and found several spots where floats were missing causing openings/sagging.

[crusinpsychRN]

My husband and his friend were spear fishing off our boat in Biscayne Bay and caught a small fish and threw it onto the boat. My daughter who was 12 jumped in the water not wanting to be near that fish! Guess what's in the water?!? Husband and friend were fending off a 6 ft. barracuda.

[ShakyBeef]

We were on the beach as well. It's interesting as we've heard so many versions. First it was a cuda and a man, then it was a nurse shark and a man, then a cuda and a woman. I searched everywhere and never did find anything related to the attack. We all were told to get out of the water which everyone did - except for a couple of young guys who wanted to argue with the life-guards. I did hear that there were a lot of bait fish around him. He may have been feeding them- not sure. They sent three locals out on a boat with spearfish gear and claimed they killed it. But I was watching them and I'm not sure they ever got close. There's a net out there, but one of our group snorkeled along it and found several spots where floats were missing causing openings/sagging.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and thanks for the report. I agree, it is interesting how one event can be experienced, viewed, remembered, and reported so differently from one person to the next. One of the funny little quirks of human nature.:o

 

 

My husband and his friend were spear fishing off our boat in Biscayne Bay and caught a small fish and threw it onto the boat. My daughter who was 12 jumped in the water not wanting to be near that fish! Guess what's in the water?!? Husband and friend were fending off a 6 ft. barracuda.

 

All I can say is: :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:!!!!!!!!!

[originalgeek]

The things a guy will do just to get a pretty girl in a bikini to pay attention to them...

 

 

:D

[wayland168]

It was my uncle, it was a shark bite. A small shark, but a shark none the less. He is doing well, he was airlifted to Ft. Lauderdale from Freeport. He has had one surgery thus far and there are plans for at least another on this coming Saturday.

[asalligo]

I grew up on the Gulf of Mexico and I am aware of several people who have been bitten, but it was always a piece of jewelry that the Barracuda is attracted to. Most of the time a wrist watch.

[jbhcw]

It was my uncle, it was a shark bite. A small shark, but a shark none the less. He is doing well, he was airlifted to Ft. Lauderdale from Freeport. He has had one surgery thus far and there are plans for at least another on this coming Saturday.

 

Thanks for letting us know.

[Jenna1983]

Saw them in Belize twice while out snorkeling somewhere in the middle of nowhere' land but kept my distance. It stared, I stared, and we parted.

 

I refuse to go anywhere near a group of people especially drunk adults or adults with children. Seems to be a large amount of people feed when those two. No thanks. I hate fish with a passion and do everything in my power to stay away from them lol. When I was in Croatia, I had a giant red fish come up to me and it nipped at my side. Try running on rocks in deep water after that happened.

[Welsh Lass]

It was my uncle, it was a shark bite. A small shark, but a shark none the less. He is doing well, he was airlifted to Ft. Lauderdale from Freeport. He has had one surgery thus far and there are plans for at least another on this coming Saturday.

 

Wishing him a speedy and full recovery.

[octcruise10]

It was my uncle, it was a shark bite. A small shark, but a shark none the less. He is doing well, he was airlifted to Ft. Lauderdale from Freeport. He has had one surgery thus far and there are plans for at least another on this coming Saturday.

 

 

 

Thank you for letting us know. I hope is is doing well.

 

A few questions...if you don't mind answering?

 

How far out was he in the water? What kind of shark and how extensive were the injuries? I am very thankful that this post has brought some attention to this as we all need to be very much aware when in the water.

 

Thank you in advance.:):)