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Certain types of bathing suits


tbmrt
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After snorkeling for years on day trips from cruise ships in the Caribbean, we decided to do a snorkeling trip to Turks and Caicos.

I've been reading and am concerned about wearing the following since I read somewhere that you should not wear anything flashy and that white fins are not allowed in some places.

-Brass colored clasps on bathing suits

-Black and white patterned bathing suits

Am I being paranoid or would you advise against wearing the above? Wondering if I should purchase different styles for our upcoming snorkel trip to Turks.

Thanks!

Barbara

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You are being silly. Barracudas can be attracted to shiny things, as their primary food source is shiny silver fish that swim near the surface. BUT having said that, humans splashing around in the shallow water near shore are not going to see barracudas. I know it was posted here on CC a few years ago about someone getting attacked on a beach (HMC), but that is the only time I have ever read about it happening on a crowded beach.

Relax, wear whatever you want, and don't expect fish to attack you. Have fun.

 

I am a scuba diver, with 500+ dives, and the only time I have been bitten by a fish is when I was bothering a damsel fish and it came out and nipped my hand. I did not bleed, it was just a warning to me that I was too close to its territory. Damsel fish are very territorial, and will come out aggresssively swimming at you and try to scare anyone off when you come to close.

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The only time I have ever heard of white fins not being allowed was because they were scared the fins would scare other people.

 

Barracuda do attack small, shiny things. Note, they attack small, shiny things. I have been attacked twice (once entirely my own fault) and in both cases they have done less damage than a night out roller skating (I suck at roller skating). They are not looking to bite you and will mostly just strike you.

 

Black and white suits might be an issue, if you are snorkeling where it is deep enough that a shark mistakes you for a seal. Also, not much to see while snorkeling in that deep of water. Besides, just check to see when the last surfer got eaten, sharks may already be full.

 

Seriously, go and have fun. There is some really good shallow snorkeling there well away from the beach.

 

When you get on the island ask for a guy named "Meat," you should have no problem finding him. He can take you to some great spots or direct you to someone who can if he is doing diving.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have been scuba diving all over the world and have used the same fins. They are white. Just back from diving in Cozumel with the most Barracudas we have ever seen. None attacked my fins.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Every few years this seems to pop up (remember yum yum yellow?). A barracuda will be able to tell your shiny brass this is part of a bigger object. Mostly to provoke one, you have to really bother it. The things to be scared of in the ocean are the small things like jellyfish.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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  • 5 weeks later...

I was snorkeling solo in Bora Bora (not smart, I know) and just off an isolated island near my hotel. Swam over a huge school of barracuda that didn't bother me at all. It was the octopus that got me.

 

When I got back to the beach and was walking in about 4" of water I felt something stuck to my leg. Being from NY I assumed it was seaweed, forgetting where I was and the fact that there was none to be found anywhere during my entire trip. When I looked down I saw the red/orange little fellow wrapped around my leg. I shook him off, then he lunged onto my other leg. Eventually shook him off again and then lost him in the water. Needless to say I didn't stick around and wait for momma octopus to come find her baby and double team me.

 

In hindsight, I probably stepped on him. Moral of the story - don't mess with wildlife and they won't mess with you.

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I was snorkeling solo in Bora Bora (not smart, I know) and just off an isolated island near my hotel. Swam over a huge school of barracuda that didn't bother me at all. It was the octopus that got me.

 

When I got back to the beach and was walking in about 4" of water I felt something stuck to my leg. Being from NY I assumed it was seaweed, forgetting where I was and the fact that there was none to be found anywhere during my entire trip. When I looked down I saw the red/orange little fellow wrapped around my leg. I shook him off, then he lunged onto my other leg. Eventually shook him off again and then lost him in the water. Needless to say I didn't stick around and wait for momma octopus to come find her baby and double team me.

 

In hindsight, I probably stepped on him. Moral of the story - don't mess with wildlife and they won't mess with you.

 

 

Good thing it wasn't the same 4 ft long octopus I saw while snorkeling off my over horizon bungalow in Bora Bora. At first I noticed a large "rock" just 10 ft from the bungalow's raft. Then a parrot fish circled it and took a nip, and the "rock", which I now saw as an octopus, took off. When it saw me, it headed for a nearby coral head and managed to squeeze into a tiny crack, changing color as well.

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