The first time I went scuba diving was in 2007. We were on a 5 day trip to the Bahamas and had already explored most of the island. Our second to last day there we enrolled in the PADI Discover Scuba Diving class at the resort where we were staying.
After a few hours on land and in the swimming pool we had learned the basics of using scuba equipment and maintaining boyancy. The next morning we all met at the dock for a short boat ride to the other side of the peninsula where the current would carry us like it was a lazy river over along a coral reef.
It was fairly difficult to pay attention to all the marine life around while trying to remember everything we had learned and make the right adjustments on your IBD. The one thing that was easy to identify was the nearly 3-foot long barracuda that was hovering over a rock waiting for his next meal to swim by.
Underwater digital cameras were just starting to become a thing so the photo quality isn't the best but I did get a photo to document the moment.
Yikes. A barracuda would freak me out. I dove in the vicinity of stingrays in the Caymans back in 2000. I was a teenager at the time so the process of becoming PADI certified was intimidating. My father and brother were with me throughout the training sessions and adventure in the Caymans so that provided some reassurance.
Stingray City was an unforgettable experience. We also dove a shipwreck - that was my first official scuba diving experience outside of the training pool at a local hotel where I became PADI certified.
We didn't see any Barracudas though. A couple small fish with sharp teeth nipped at my ears when I was 50+ feet below the surface, though.