Great barracuda

Photo: Zack · CC BY-NC

Great barracuda are apex ambush predators that use speed bursts exceeding 40 km/h to stun prey. On the Kittiwake they are resident fixtures, hovering motionless in the current beside the superstructure and using the wreck as a cleaning station. Their hollow-point dentition and counter-shaded silver body make them immediately recognisable; despite their fearsome appearance they rarely threaten divers unless provoked or attracted by reflective jewellery.