Very popular with scuba divers on our trips to the outer Great Barrier Reef, barracuda are an impressive sight on the reef. The fearsome looking barracuda has a reputation for being and aggressive fish but it is mostly undeserved. They really use their incredible speed to shock and attack its victims of smaller fish. They do not see humans as a meal or as a threat unless actively provoked. They have been known to get aggressive where potential food is involved, another good reason not to feed the fish or support operators that feed fish.
They are often seen in large groups in the early morning or late afternoon hanging around at the back of the reefs. What are groups of barracuda called? Batteries. The can grow to about 1.6 metres or just over 5ft, the guys in the photo above are just over a metre each. They have a large swim bladder (gas filled bladder) they use to control their buoyancy in the water. This allows them to hover perfectly for long periods of time with very little use of energy.