Harriette, I've had many experiences swimming with Barracudas also. Eye contact is very important I believe. One time in the Dry Tortugas we ran into a pack of about 35-40 of them. Smaller ones about 2 - 2 1/2' long but they seemed very menacing in a pack. There were 4 or 5 of us and eventually they moved aside and let us through.

Another time I was going to do some work under a boat for a guy at anchor and that morning he had cleaned fish (unknown to me) on deck and threw the remains over the side. I made several attempts to work under the boat but this 4 or 5' would not back off and I had to leave. He had staked out his territory and that was that.

Jim
Formerly from somewhere on a beach in Belize