Diving Suspended in Sharm El Sheikh due to shark Attack

Also reports of 'fish bags' being distributed at hotels.

 

Duncan

And aerosol cheese paste...

Well said Tim!

My 3 emails have been sent

Stew

Had to pinch this link off Duncans FB. you tube. shark feeding red sea

Stew

Had to pinch this link off Duncans FB. you tube. shark feeding red sea

 

Stew

This clip is a couple of years old.....

So what sort of purpose would one think they have, tipping cow and sheep carcasses in the sea?

Could it be someone who is against the tourism in parts like here, and encouraging sharks to change their ways?

Could it be someone who is against the tourism in parts like here, and encouraging sharks to change their ways?

That would require far too much forward thinking......

The carcasses were right after Eid where they slaughter animals as part of the festival so probably simply garbage disposal. The ones from the container ship died en route and were tossed over board.

That would require far too much forward thinking......

The carcasses were right after Eid where they slaughter animals as part of the festival so probably simply garbage disposal. The ones from the container ship died en route and were tossed over board.

I remember that day well Duncan when we see the remains of a very large cow in bits floating at sea. I can also remember what the authorities were more concerned with as well when the skipper of our boat pointed it out to them. As they say. Only in Egypt. See you in 2 weeks.

Stew

Well looks like this situation is going down hill fast...

e-mails sent!

Let's hope for the best...

Cheers

Karel

OK, this is the latest from Sharm and from a _very_ old dive guide friend...

About three weeks ago around 30 dead sheep were seen in the water near Tiran and it was supposed that they were dumped overboard from a commercial livestock carrier plying the straights of Tiran.

The northery winds and currents will have carried them towards Sharm and it is belived these carcasses have drawn the Longimanus (uncommonly) towards the shore.

It is not suggested at all that these carcasses have been dumnped at sea following the Eid celebrations.

If this is true, it would seem as though the temporary snorkelling and diving restrictions may be an appropriate measure appropriate given the _very_ low common denominator of recreational diver and snorkeller which abounds in the Sharm and Ras Mohammed areas...

Maybe this information is making some sense of the situation?

According to a few of the Sharm based instructors on YD, the sheep incident happened ages ago

my hepca email has been returned as their inbox is full. I will keep posting until it gets delivered though.

Stew

my hepca email has been returned as their inbox is full. I will keep posting until it gets delivered though.

 

Stew

EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — A shark tore the arm off an elderly German tourist at an Egyptian Red Sea resort, killing her almost immediately, security and diving officials said Sunday, only days after sharks badly mauled four other European tourists in the waters.

The German was swimming in the waters off Sharm el-Sheikh, a famed diving and vacation resort in the Sinai peninsula, when the shark attacked, Egyptian security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to brief the media.

"It was definitely a shark attack," said Hesham Gabar, the head of Egypt's Chamber of Diving and Water Sports. The German Embassy in Cairo could not be immediately reached for comment.

Sunday's deadly attack comes after oceanic white tip sharks mauled three Russians and a Ukrainian tourist last week, also off the coast of Sharm el-Sheikh. In one of those attacks, a shark bit off an elderly woman's hand and tore off another woman's leg.

Egyptian authorities closed Sharm el-Sheikh's beaches following those attacks, and on Thursday the Environment Ministry said two sharks suspected of mauling the four tourists were caught.

Authorities then reopened Sharm el-Sheikh's beaches Saturday after divers from the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports and the Environment Ministry scoured popular diving sites in an effort to ensure they were safe.

The Environment Ministry also ordered authorities to beef up security measures at beaches in the area. requiring diving centers to provide staff to supervise beaches and watch the waters for sharks.

Environmentalists warned that the string of recent attacks is likely a result of the Red Sea's declining ecosystem. Gabar, the head of the CDWS, said he's seen a jump in the number of sharks off Egypt's Red Sea coast, which he said could be caused by overfishing.

The spate of shark attacks in Sharm el-Sheikh — one of Egypt's main beach resorts that attracts millions of foreign vacationers annually — could deal a blow the country's tourism industry, a vital source of income.

Beach tourism is believed to contribute some 66% of Egypt's total income from tourism which is expected to reach $12.3 billion by end of the current fiscal year ending 2011, Tourism Minister Zohair Garanah was quoted as saying in state-owned Al-Gomhoriya daily.

Firstly, this behaviour by Oceanic Whitetips is absolutely atypical insofar as the 'where' and 'what'. Presently, the missing piece of the puzzle seems to be the 'why'.

 

Secondly, the knee jerk cull of the two OWT and Mako which followed the first incedents must not be allowed to continue.

 

Thirdly and on a personal basis, if further a cull is insigated official or otherwise, my son (CJ) or I will will be forced reconsider if we are ever dive in or give patronage to the Egyptian Rea Sea again. Since CJ started his diving at the age of seven (he is now thirteen) we have accumulated over 40 weeks diving in the Egyptian Red Sea. If a cull were to occur I would take the view that the diving would be the lesser and the Egyptian Authorities are not committed to marine conservation. In which case, we would have to reconsider our support to the diving infrastructure in the Egyptian Red Sea.

Let's be realistic here.Having divers swim the area to "clear" the beach for shark is absolutely useless. A shark can easily travel around and come back in a few days. Humans want to feel safe, especially on holiday at the beach. With the amount of money poured in on the infrastructure and tourism $$$ coming in, the authorities have to make it look like the threat is over and something is being done. Heads roll when things can't be controlled. So culling a few sharks vs millions of $$$ and job security? Guess who loses every time?

Re the dead carcass dumping.

Eid happens every year so that dumping has got to happen annually. So what makes this year different? Quantity dumped etc?

Last year the spate of incidents happened further south:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...=30702&st=0

Another incident in April @ Na'ama Bay:

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoo...hark.6233932.jp

The problem with reports is the lack of accuracy. Was there chumming(either intentional or waste disposal) near by? We know the incident @ st John was acerbated by chumming while there were snorkelers and swimmers in the water. Do a search on youtube and you'll see encounters with Longimanus, nothing serious but their investigatory bumps can cause minor injuries to skin.

With the conflicting reports, it may not be one shark doing all the incidents.

the authorities have to make it look like the threat is over and something is being done. Heads roll when things can't be controlled. So culling a few sharks vs millions of $$$ and job security? Guess who loses every time?

Yeah, not smart long term.

Emails sent.

"To whom it may concern.

Please dont go overboard and kill every shark you see following the attacks recently.

Less than 10 humans are fatally bitten by sharks each year.

This is a very low figure considering the fact that we are overfishing the oceans and removing their natural food sources.

I hope cooler heads prevail and the bigger picture is looked at.

ie how valuable one shark is to an area that supports diving related activities.

An "expert" in South Africa estimated that each shark at Aliwal Shoal was worth approximately $1 million per year to the area in tourist dollars.

Remember, we are in their territory.

So we must be ultimately responsible.

cheers"

I kept it short and basic so the message can reach more people.

How it helps.

"Many thanks for your email.

I can assure you that the CDWS does not condone the killing of any sharks.

CDWS is working closely with the Egyptian Authorities and has sought the advice and expertise of a number of professionals on shark behaviour for this very reason. Dr Burgess of the Florida Program for Shark Research will be the first to arrive in Sharm this evening.

If you want accurate information on what is going on, please keep an eye on our website www.cdws.travel which are updating regularly with news.

Kind regards,

Mary"

Mary replied in under an hour.

A statement by the Longimanus Project - http://www.longimanus.info/rss_upload/Long.../longinews.html

I just heard that Dr Elke Bojanowski is on her way from Hurghada to Sharm and that CDWS are assembling a team of experts - http://www.cdws.travel/chamber-news.aspx?id=46

Going back on topic, the CDWS isn't going to condone random shark kills publicly but the MOT, on the other hand, have to answer Cairo on measures to stop this. That's why they had these hunts.

The other problem is their recommendation to reopen the water activities around Sharm, declaring the area "safe," only to have a 4th incident happen almost immediately, didn't help. So it's the natural progression of things to have a team of expert consultants come in, again for the appearance of doing something.

With the xmas holidays coming up, there'll be lots of pressure from business and government to clear this up quickly.

The latest

CDWS shark incident update: diving possible tomorrow in Sharm el Sheikh

6 December 14:00

The majority of areas in Sharm el Sheikh will be open to diving activities for CDWS members and their clients tomorrow (7 December), however, please note a series of restrictions apply on where these can take place and on client experience. All snorkel activities and other watersports - with the exception of glass bottom boat operations - remain suspended in the whole of the Sharm el Sheikh coastal area.

Qualified diving clients, who must have a minimum of 50 logged dives, are permitted to participate in scuba activities run by CDWS members in the areas of Tiran and all sites south of Naama Bay. Diving remains completely banned at this time in the area between Ras Nasrani to the north of Naama Bay where the Ras Mohammed National Park teams are currently working.

Under NO circumstances are introductory or training dives permitted to take place in the sea anywhere in Sharm el Sheikh until CDWS members are notified otherwise.

Following discussions with sharks experts and a series of exploratory dives, it was decided that the areas to be opened, which include the Ras Mohammed National Park and popular sites such as the Thistlegorm, were safe for experienced diving activities. CDWS would like to make it clear that no divers have been involved in any of the incidents reported.

CDWS is working with four world-renowned shark experts at this time. Three of the experts will be arriving over the next two days in Sharm el Sheikh to form an advisory team to try to assess and advise on the best course of action following the four shark attacks in areas north of Naama Bay this week.

Dr George H Burgess, the director of the Florida Program and curator of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History for Shark Research, is flying to the resort today. Arriving tomorrow are: Dr Marie Levine, head of the Shark Research Institute in Princeton, USA, and Dr Ralph Collier, of the Shark Research Committee and author of Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century. Shark behavioural expert Dr Erich Ritter is assisting from his research centre based in the USA. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) is funding all the costs involved.

A Swedish research vessel is currently surveying the topography of the ocean around Sharm el Sheikh in order to supply data to shark experts to assist their work. CDWS enlisted the help of this vessel to carry out the topography survey and secured all the relevant permissions.

CDWS would like to assure all members that the organisation is working continuously with all the relevant authorities and shark experts to try to resolve this situation in the most appropriate and safe way for all concerned. The CDWS also stresses to all members and the public that it does not in any way condone the random killing of sharks.

ITV news (uk) goes with the headline 'Killer Shark' and likens it all to 'Jaws'.

Now, im sorry for the lady that has lost her life, but why must the media go with such headlines? They even spoke with Ali Moore of SharkTrust who tried to give true facts, but the interviewer didnt really want to hear about shark behaviour but concentrate on 'man-eaters'. Again the fact that there had been killing of innocent sharks, even sharks of the wrong species, was played down. The egyptian on there obviously had no idea what he was talking about. Might as well have interviewed a 5yr and asked how big bad and scary these man eater sharks are.

Olly

Well, Wikileaks, the Koreas and the Gulf wars are enough distraction from the economic woes, so shark attacks are the next best thing to distract people.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11922788