The Last Giants: Wild Fish – Encounters That Could End Fatally

Although about 80 million sharks are killed every year, they are not on the verge of extinction, but due to overfishing, the last giants, such as the great arapaima, may disappear from the surface of the planet in the next few years.

That’s why naturalist Cyril Choquet and his team continue a dangerous mission to find, study and protect the last giant fish on the planet. Even if it means that they will have to experience not very pleasant moments and risk their health and even their lives.

Meet the huge and very dangerous last giants on our planet!

How not to provoke a giant barracuda

Barracuda is a pike-like predatory fish. Individual specimens reach a length of up to two meters and a weight of more than 50 kilograms. Barracudas live in the warm waters of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Their lifespan in the wild is about 14 years. Given their size and speed, there aren’t many predators that can catch and eat them.

However, they are not at the very top of the food chain, as predators that would enjoy barracuda for breakfast include sharks and dolphins. Barracuda are also hunted by people who engage in sport fishing.

It should be noted that currently these species of fish are not considered endangered, but their number is decreasing. In the US state of Florida, for example, their numbers are reported to be in particular decline, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering imposing catch limits.

Although dangerous to humans, the barracuda usually does not attack unless provoked. 25 attacks have been reported in the past century. That’s about one case every four years, which is an extremely small number compared to other predatory fish.

Only a few cases where people lost their lives after meeting barracudas are described in more detail. For example, one of them happened in 1947 in the state of Florida. The next such case was recorded in 1957 in the state of North Carolina, and the last known death with “barracuda attack” in the “cause of death” column occurred in 1960.

Sometimes a shiny watch or bracelet can become a provocation, which the barracuda can mistake for fish scales. Cases when people have lost fingers or even the whole hand because of such accessories are not rare.

Cyril Choquet wants to meet and study a giant barracuda. However, this meeting does not go according to plan, namely, the excited fish knocks the naturalist off his feet. Viewers of The Last Giants: Wild Fish will see what happened next.

The creature that killed “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin

Before turning to the study and protection of giant fish, Cyril Shoke was known as an excellent sport fisherman. He also holds impressive catch records, such as the 250 kilogram stingray he once caught in Thailand.

However, in recent years, in his latest programs “The last giants: wild fish”, Cyril has focused not on records, but on the study of the world’s largest fish and the issues of their protection. Cyril has great respect for nature and always returns all his catches to the water, no matter how spectacular they are.

The length of the stingray stinger can be as long as 42 centimeters. When the stingray is agitated, it flaps its tail and the stinger activates. Stingray venom first weakens breathing, which endangers the heart, and eventually can become the cause of death. Its toxic effect lasts up to 48 hours.

In 2006, 44-year-old naturalist and TV star Steve Irwin died when he was stung in the heart by a stingray while filming the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef.