A swimmer off Fort Lauderdale Beach sustained injuries believed to be caused by a barracuda yesterday morning, according to authorities. Fire rescue crews responded to an emergency call near the 700 block of North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard shortly before 11 a.m. and transported the female victim to Broward Health Medical Center, 7News reported.
The type of bite sustained by the woman was "not a shark bite," but "much smaller. Possibly a barracuda," officials explained. Despite the frightening encounter, her injuries were described as minor. This recent event follows a similar incident last month where another woman was bitten by what was believed to be marine life while swimming in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, igniting discussions about the risks posed by local wildlife, NBC 6 Miami details.
In a statement obtained by NBC 6 Miami, retired NSU marine biologist Gerard Loisel commented on the rarity of such attacks: "Barracuda attacks are extremely rare. I mean, shark attacks are rare, but barracuda attacks make shark attacks look common." He explained that while barracudas, and sharks, are typically attracted to shiny bait fish, they may mistake other items for their intended prey in unclear waters.
Following the latest incident, Loisel offered advice about the perceived hazard of barracudas: "People ask me all the time, are barracudas dangerous?" he said. "I say yeah, don't eat them, because your risk of getting ciguatera poisoning from eating a barracuda is probably greater than an attack," according to NBC 6 Miami. These recent bites highlight the unpredictable nature of encounters with marine life off the coast of Florida, while also bringing attention to other potential dangers such as ciguatera poisoning, as per Loisel's advice.
