Barracuda Bay is one of the boat sites to the west of Flying Fish Cove listed by Curious Campers in their guide to diving and snorkelling on Christmas Island, alongside Daniel Roux Cave, Smith Point, Million Dollar Bommie and Thundercliff Cave. The name refers to the schools of barracuda that are frequently seen off this part of the coast, though as with many of the island's sites the name is local and informal.

Little site-specific detail has been published. Expect the typical north-coast profile: a band of fringing reef close under the cliffs in 5–10 m, covered in plate, branching and boulder corals, then a steep slope and drop-off that continues well past recreational depth. The reef top is home to the island's characteristic mix of Indian and Pacific Ocean species – butterflyfish, angelfish including the endemic Christmas Island (Cocos) angelfish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, parrotfish and wrasse – while the edge of the drop-off is where schooling barracuda, trevally and fusiliers gather and where reef sharks and turtles cruise.

Being in the lee of the island during the south-east trade season, Barracuda Bay is usually calm from about April to November, and like all north coast sites it is exposed to the north-west monsoon swell from December. It is a straightforward reef and drop-off dive that suits divers of all levels with some experience of boat diving; the depth is up to the individual, as the reef top offers a good shallow dive while the wall invites a deeper look. Its position between Million Dollar Bommie and the wall sites to the west means it is used as a variation when the popular sites have been dived recently. Confirm the dive plan at the briefing, as the operators decide on the day.

Fly from Perth (about 4 hours, two to three flights a week, some via Cocos Islands) and hire a car – there is no public transport. Both dive centres are in The Settlement and launch their boats from the jetty/boat ramp at Flying Fish Cove, normally at about 8 am for a two-dive morning trip. From the cove the boat runs west from the cove past Smith Point and then south-west along the north coast along the coast for roughly 10–12 minutes to the bay.

There is no land access to the dive, and the vertical sea cliffs mean no exit other than the boat. Operators choose sites on the morning according to swell and wind.

On the north coast, which is in the lee of the south-east trade winds from roughly April/May to November – that is the calm, reliable season here with glassy seas and 30 m+ visibility. From about December to March/April the north-west monsoon brings northerly and north-westerly swell (and occasional cyclone-generated swell) that can make the north coast undiveable and the Flying Fish Cove ramp unusable for days; Extra Divers treat February–April as peak swell season when trips are often cancelled. Any swell over about 1.5 m from the north-west quarter usually cancels the site.

Visibility dips after heavy rain run-off from the plateau and during red crab spawning (Oct–Jan) when plankton blooms. Tides are small (about 1 m) and rarely matter, but currents along the coast can pick up without warning.

Descend on the reef edge, follow it along the bay at 12–20 m watching the blue for schooling barracuda and trevally, then return shallower across the reef top for a safety stop at 5 m. In current, operators run it as a drift.

Extra Divers Christmas Island and CI Wet'n'Dry Adventures – occasional boat dive on the north coast.