Snorkeling in tropical waters can lead to some incredible wildlife encounters. But not all of them are as pretty and harmless as they seem.
It’s a reminder that the ocean is home to creatures that deserve respect and caution, even when they look like just another fish gliding by.
One woman’s close-up video with what she thought was just another pretty fish turned out to be a moment with one of the ocean’s most notorious predators. And she had no idea until after the fact.
Snorkeler Gets Too Close For Comfort To Barracuda
In a viral video with a whopping 28.1 million views, content creator Eden Marina (@january_embers) shared footage of herself snorkeling in Mexico and swimming remarkably close to a long, silvery fish.
The video shows her getting up closer and closer to the fish, seemingly unaware of what she was encountering.
“That one time I was snorkeling in Mexico and got up close and personal with a barracuda without knowing what it was,” the text overlay on the video reads.
The barracuda—an all-around creature to be feared—appears calm in the footage as Marina swims near it.
“Nearly became Nemo’s mom,” Marina said, alluding to the barracuda attack that killed Nemo’s mother in the Pixar film.
What Is A Barracuda?
Barracudas have a reputation as ruthless predators. According to National Geographic, these ferocious fish are commonly found in tropical regions with warm water. They prefer the shallow end close to coral reefs and shorelines.
There are more than 20 types of barracuda, but the most well-known is the great barracuda, which can grow longer than six feet. They’re built like torpedoes for speed, with mouths full of sharp teeth, some of which even face backwards to help them hold onto their slippery meals.
Barracudas are ambush hunters that can go from zero to 36 miles per hour in just seconds. They blend into the water, wait for prey to swim by, then attack so fast their victims don’t even see it coming.
Here’s the thing about barracuda attacks on humans: They’re rare.
Barracudas usually go after silvery-looking fish, so they’re attracted to shiny stuff, which means they might confuse jewelry or a watch for food. But according to National Geographic, this doesn’t happen very often.
The fact that Marina swam close to one and nothing happened is actually pretty normal. Barracudas don’t see humans as food.
But finding out after the fact that you’d been face-to-face with a fish that inspired the villain in “Finding Nemo”? That’ll definitely make you rethink your snorkeling choices.
Commenters React
“That thing said. ‘Imma let it slide cause you OBVIOUSLY don’t know who I am,’” a top comment with more than a million views read.
“The barracuda was so stunned by your audacity that it was paralyzed,” a person joked.
“Remember barracudas hunting strategy involves staying incredibly still,” another pointed out.
“Yall bold to go up to any aquatic creature NOT knowing what it is,” a commenter added.
@january_embers Nearly became Nemo’s mom #fyp
BroBible reached out to Marina via email and Instagram direct message for comment. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.