Chevron barracuda

The chevron barracuda is a schooling predatory fish found across the Indo-Pacific basin. Biologists know it as Sphyraena qenie although local guides always use the common name. You can recognise it by the dark vertical bands along its silver flanks. These chevrons give the fish its name. They look quite different from the great barracuda you sometimes spot hunting alone on the shallow reef. A great barracuda is thicker across the back. It also has black spots rather than stripes on its lower body.

The chevron barracuda is highly social. It lives its entire adult life in massive aggregations. These schools act as a single organism to confuse predators. The shape shifts constantly to adapt to the water conditions. The fish move in total synchrony to maintain equal spacing between themselves.

Sipadan is the primary location for these massive schools in Sabah. The sheer limestone walls create the environment they prefer. The current sweeps oceanic water past the pinnacle at specific spots along the perimeter. The fish hold their position on the edge of the wall to wait for nutrients. Sightings are a reliable fixture on almost every dive at the northern points.

Barracuda Point

Skill level: Confident AOW | Published depth range: 5–40m+ This northeast corner acts as the primary gathering point for the massive school. The topography features a bottomless wall dropping into deep water. The current sweeps over a sloping plateau to bring a steady supply of oceanic water. You start the dive by drifting along the vertical face to look for the silver column. The site often features dawn herds of bumphead parrotfish numbering up to fifty individuals alongside the barracuda.

The Drop-Off

Skill level: Newly Qualified AOW | Published depth range: 5–40m+ You step off the boat just metres from the old jetty to find a sheer drop plunging 600 metres down. The resident chevron barracuda often cruise past in the shallow water during their morning circuits. The navigation is straightforward if you keep the wall on your shoulder. Green and hawksbill turtles use this wall like a vertical highway.

South Point

Skill level: Confident AOW | Published depth range: 20–40m+ This site anchors the southern tip of the island. The ledge at 20 metres ends abruptly in a vertical wall. You sometimes spot the chevron barracuda school cruising past in the blue water on a drift dive here. The site is better known for deep-water pelagics and occasional scalloped hammerheads at dawn.

You can dive with the resident school from December to October. The water temperature sits comfortably between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius in every month. A three-millimetre tropical wetsuit provides plenty of thermal protection. The best visibility normally runs from March to October. A window between mid-February and the end of October gives you very good diving at Sipadan. The months outside this period bring a mix of cloud alongside the sun. Diving hours run from early morning until the afternoon.

Sabah Parks closes Sipadan to all visitors every November to let the reef rest. The island reopens on the first of December. Read the full guide on when to dive Sabah to plan your specific dates.

The chevron barracuda school responds directly to the moving water. A slack tide sees the fish spread out loosely in the blue water. They look like a silver wall hovering just out of reach. A strong current changes everything. The school tightens up to form a defensive cylinder.

Divers call the spiral the barracuda tornado. The fish swim in a continuous spiral. They do this to protect themselves while grey reef sharks patrol the deeper water below. The formation blocks out the sun. You can drift below the school to watch the vortex spin above you. The movement is hypnotic. You often share the site with massive schools of bigeye trevally competing for space in the flow.

The school is a spectacular wide-angle subject. You need a fisheye lens to capture the scale of the school. The fish tend to gather in the brightly lit water between 10 and 15 metres down. Ambient light is your best tool in these bright shallows.

Managing heavy strobe arms in a ripping current is physically demanding. Many professional photographers leave their strobes off entirely. They rely on custom white balance to shoot the school in the natural light. You want to get below the column to shoot upward. This silhouettes the fish beautifully against the sun. Explore underwater photography packages for photographing the school.

The school is highly tolerant of divers if you approach correctly. You should swim slowly parallel to the fish. Never swim directly into the middle of the group. A fast approach breaks the column into smaller pieces. Be sure to watch your air consumption while fighting a current. The excitement of seeing the tornado often makes divers breathe faster than normal.

The current at the main points is often severe. You need excellent buoyancy control to hold your depth while looking through a camera viewfinder. Down-currents are a serious factor near the point itself. You must monitor your dive computer closely to avoid dropping past your recreational depth limit. A reef hook helps you hold your position in the flow. You must attach it exclusively to dead rock to prevent damage to the fragile reef.

The chevron barracuda populations remain healthy in protected areas like Sipadan. The island was gazetted as Sipadan Island Park in 2009 under the Sabah Parks Enactment. The government mandated the removal of all resorts from the island by the end of 2004 to halt ecological damage. Jacques-Yves Cousteau called the island 'an untouched piece of art' in his 1989 film. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the chevron barracuda as Least Concern.

The sheer density of the school at Sipadan proves the value of strict marine park rules. A daily quota protects the reef from overcrowding. Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. This strict limit gives the resident fish the space they need to thrive.

You reach the school by booking a dive package on the nearby islands. Mabul and Kapalai sit roughly 15 to 25 minutes away by boat. An early start gives you the morning light for looking for the school. A Sipadan permit day from Mabul or Kapalai gives you 3 dives. Mataking Island is another popular base. The boat ride takes roughly 80 minutes across the Alice Channel. A Sipadan permit day from Mataking gives you 2 dives.

A Sipadan Classic package brings your resort stay and Sipadan permit together. You need an Advanced Open Water certificate to dive the island. The rules changed in October 2022 to protect the reef from inexperienced divers. If you prefer to sleep on the water you can join the MV Celebes Explorer liveaboard. Read the guide on how Sipadan permits work before making your plans.

Bigeye trevally · Grey reef shark · Barracuda Point · Diving in Sipadan · Underwater Photography

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