Updates for string of Shark attacks in Egypt, experts arrive in Sharm to study shark behavior!! | |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:00 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Last week was reported everywhere that there was an attack on 4 tourists, however, later was discovered that the 4th injury was caused by corals on hands of a tourist and not a shark. This report was never corrected and still being circulated. There's lots of confusion and wrong news being spread. As to the exact circumstances of the german woman who lost her life today, I will post the update with evidence as soon as I have it. The shark responsible for this attack is a White Tip OCEANIC (Longimanus) - not to be confused with a White Tip Reef Shark. This type of shark is found more in open ocean and reefs in the open ocean. For this shark to be present in Sharm El-Sheikh on the beach areas and to act so aggressive is highly unusual. Something triggered this behaviour, and that is why experts will be arriving tomorrow. I have my own theories. I've been diving with this particular shark numerous times, and it is to be respected. However no divers were ever reporting of being attacked - the recent attacks were on swimmers. The Longimanus is not a shark you want to be swimming with, diving yes, so most likely he was attracted and curious by the splashing on the surface. But why there and why so frequent or this one individual, we will hopefully solve the mystery soon. Egytpians caught 2 Mako sharks and some Longimanus last week, this was highly criticized by the Chamber and HEPCA. Obviously it did not do the trick, as we see from the incident today. [link to www.hepca.com] Last Edited by Babsi on 12/05/2010 04:04 PM |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:08 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Eye witnesses and professional divers say it is the same individual, a female Longimanus, who is responsible for all the attacks. Rumors of divers being harassed by sharks at other dive sites are around - to me this all raises some serious alarm bells. We have noticed a change this year with sharks, they were not at their usual spots. It was said due to high water temps, which was true. It was unusually hot. Now, sharks, especially Longimanus, in areas where it shouldn't be, acting strange. What is going on? Still keep thinking of "The Swarm" by Frank Schaetzing...coming true? Is marine life fed up and taking revenge? Is the eco system totally out of whack? |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:11 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Reports of the sharks possibly going "BERZERK" are from boat crew in Sharm El-Sheikh. They talk together, all boats were summoned back to the Marina by Coast Guard today. Nothing's going out in the sea tomorrow or in the water. Except professional divers and Chamber Members to do evaluation dives. If I can, I will be there this weekend! |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:16 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Post Picks: Egypt’s real-life version of ‘Jaws’ [link to news.nationalpost.com] It is a joke really - the picture shows the catch of a Mako shark, which had nothing to do with this attack and are extremely rare in the Red Sea. Jaws all over again. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1151390 New Zealand 12/05/2010 04:19 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
T-minus
User ID: 1138509 Netherlands 12/05/2010 04:22 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:22 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:25 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Animals are the first to change their behaviour when a disaster is about to happen. Quoting: T-minusJust saying... Yes, .. have you read the novel of Frank Schaetzing "The Swarm" (Original german: Der Schwarm). Uma Thurman bought the rights to this book years ago, a movie was to be made and to be release 2010/2011...suddenly the project disappeared. Wonder if it hit too close to the truth? Also had to do with deep see oil rigs, methane and marine life going bezerk!!! I've never seen/heard this in 7 years, and I dive professionally. These sharks should not be there and should not act this way. I will give more updates as I want to confirm from reliable sources and with evidence what happened today. |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:29 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? I guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1177067 Ireland 12/05/2010 04:31 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: BabsiI guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. Is Egypt in competition with anyone for tourists? I bet there are no shark attacks off Israeli coasts.... |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1184595 United States 12/05/2010 04:33 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:33 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1177067I guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. Is Egypt in competition with anyone for tourists? I bet there are no shark attacks off Israeli coasts.... You mean "terrorist shark"??? Funny,... but not plausible... :). Thanks for the giggle tho |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:35 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | [link to edition.cnn.com] Shark hunt on after woman killed off Egypt's coast CNN) -- A German woman died Sunday after being attacked by a shark in waters off Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in an area where three snorkelers were injured and two sharks were caught last week, officials said. Egypt's tourism ministry has decided to close the Sharm el-Sheikh beach until the shark responsible for Sunday's attack is found, according to the nation's Interior Ministry. .......... The chamber said that as of Friday, the condition of three injured snorkelers -- two Russian women and a man from the Ukraine -- were unchanged. One of them was critical, the chamber said in a statement, but did not say which one. The three were attacked in a 24-hour period November 30 and December 1, the chamber said. Van Lysebettens said he is not a marine biologist, but many have speculated an oceanic white-tipped shark was responsible for the German woman's death, as well as the other attacks. Divers are upset because the two sharks killed Friday are thought to be innocent. They were a mako shark and another oceanic white-tipped shark -- which did not match pictures taken by someone accompanying one of the injured snorkelers, he said. Officials at the national park did not provide details on "why the animals could not be relocated to remote waters as was previously suggested," the chamber's statement said, adding it "does not wish to see any harm to any further sharks." .... |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:44 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1177067 Ireland 12/05/2010 04:46 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | CNN) -- A German woman died Sunday after being attacked by a shark in waters off Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in an area where three snorkelers were injured and two sharks were caught last week, officials said. Quoting: BabsiEgypt's tourism ministry has decided to close the Sharm el-Sheikh beach until the shark responsible for Sunday's attack is found, according to the nation's Interior Ministry. |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:49 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | CNN) -- A German woman died Sunday after being attacked by a shark in waters off Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in an area where three snorkelers were injured and two sharks were caught last week, officials said. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1177067Egypt's tourism ministry has decided to close the Sharm el-Sheikh beach until the shark responsible for Sunday's attack is found, according to the nation's Interior Ministry. Yup..conflicting statements. The Chamber as well as HEPCA are against the catching of more sharks. People such as Dr. Ritter (the documentaries of bullsharks and he got bit on his leg, he's quite famous) are arriving to Sharm tomorrow and I am hopeful they will conduct some survey's and educate the Ministry. Shark fishing/finning is illegal in Egypt, however, sadly, not being enforced except by HEPCA and Diving Operators, which face lots of hurdles to bring violators to justice. |
usukie
User ID: 1171317 United States 12/05/2010 04:49 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Ahh..Hello, Don't go into the water if your on the rag...just that simple...Duh.... just sayin Last Edited by sIcKaNdTwIsTeD on 12/05/2010 04:49 PM |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1185278 Israel 12/05/2010 04:55 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: BabsiI guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. Thanks for the updates Babsi... |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 04:58 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: ~GAIA~I guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. Thanks for the updates Babsi... Thanks - things are truly nuts - I'm sorry about the terrible fires in Israel. Hope you and your family and friends are fine. Stay safe...and I'll stay out of the water for a while I guess ;). |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1185278 Israel 12/05/2010 05:01 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: BabsiI guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. Thanks for the updates Babsi... Thanks - things are truly nuts - I'm sorry about the terrible fires in Israel. Hope you and your family and friends are fine. Stay safe...and I'll stay out of the water for a while I guess ;). ...and I will get in....lol... And thanks for your wishes....:) Take care...:) |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 05:03 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: ~GAIA~I guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. Thanks for the updates Babsi... Thanks - things are truly nuts - I'm sorry about the terrible fires in Israel. Hope you and your family and friends are fine. Stay safe...and I'll stay out of the water for a while I guess ;). ...and I will get in....lol... And thanks for your wishes....:) Take care...:) I'm assuming Gulf of Aquaba? Should be safe as all sharks somehow are attracted to Sharm El-Sheikh now..., lol. Take care and wear a mask anyhow so you see what's going on around/below the water. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1185278 Israel 12/05/2010 05:07 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: BabsiI guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. Thanks for the updates Babsi... Thanks - things are truly nuts - I'm sorry about the terrible fires in Israel. Hope you and your family and friends are fine. Stay safe...and I'll stay out of the water for a while I guess ;). ...and I will get in....lol... And thanks for your wishes....:) Take care...:) I'm assuming Gulf of Aquaba? Should be safe as all sharks somehow are attracted to Sharm El-Sheikh now..., lol. Take care and wear a mask anyhow so you see what's going on around/below the water. are they moving North or just in Sharm? |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 05:13 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: ~GAIA~I guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. Thanks for the updates Babsi... Thanks - things are truly nuts - I'm sorry about the terrible fires in Israel. Hope you and your family and friends are fine. Stay safe...and I'll stay out of the water for a while I guess ;). ...and I will get in....lol... And thanks for your wishes....:) Take care...:) I'm assuming Gulf of Aquaba? Should be safe as all sharks somehow are attracted to Sharm El-Sheikh now..., lol. Take care and wear a mask anyhow so you see what's going on around/below the water. are they moving North or just in Sharm? Just in Sharm - the confirmed 4 attacks happened in areas we call "local" dive sites...all were swimmers/snorkelers off the beach from hotels, not from boats. Some info came from dive boat crew members that apparently aggression from sharks was noted in Gulf of Suez at dive sites, which is very unusual...however I can not confirm it as crews talk and sometimes wrong info gets spread. You are safe up there I would think, but I'd just be careful of my surroundings anyhow. Do not enter the water if there's food thrown in there or fishing activity, that's just a general precaution. Otherwise I have not heard anything about anything north of Straits of Tiran or Gulf of Aquaba. Last Edited by Babsi on 12/05/2010 05:15 PM |
Yee Haw
User ID: 1185083 United States 12/05/2010 05:14 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: BabsiI guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. The fish are dieing, sharks are heading into new feeding areas. |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 05:18 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nobody has a theory? Quoting: Yee HawI guess not too many are familiar with the Red Sea or marine life behavior. Some of you GLP'ers are tho....as I said, I have a theory, simply what I've been observing. But I'm gathering some more info first. The fish are dieing, sharks are heading into new feeding areas. You got a point - overfishing I would say, as well as sharks being lured in by food being thrown in the sea near the beaches where hotels and tourism has exploded. Longimanus shark should not be in this area. It has been absent all summer at the "hotspots" for this type of shark in the south and we were told due to water temps being too high. Instead it is showing up in the north and at places where I have logged 100's of dives in the last years and not once encountered a shark. Curious indeed.... |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1185022 Finland 12/05/2010 05:21 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 05:25 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | With all the pollution and overfishing, we're killing most of the smaller fish. Apparently the sharks are now beginning to starve and will thus eat anything that they can, even humans. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1185022They do not want to eat humans - they simply started to associate humans with food. This particular shark has been known to come around boats and zodiacs (rubber dingy with outboard engine) and expect food. This is due to crew throwing food or fishing. But yes, overfishing and pollution must be driving them out of their natural area's and that is why they are showing up in these tourism spots. But not to eat people, simply because they will find food there. The people attacked were flopping around on the surface, which triggers the hunting instinct of this shark. Rule #1 while we were diving with this shark was to stop finning and keep your hands tucked inside, as this shark is known to bump you and do investigative bites. |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 05:40 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | to keep at the 1st page - this is important because of the unusual circumstances. People diving in the Red Sea for over 20 or so years have not seen this. Dr. Ritter and other specialists were summoned to Egypt to investigate the cause of this unusual occurrence. |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 05:52 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Info to Dr. Erich Ritter, Shark Specialist who will arrive in Sharm El-Sheikh tomorrow to evaluate the shark attack incidents in the Red Sea the last few days. [link to www.sharkwater.com] Info to his shark attack incident during the filming of a discovery channel documentary about bullsharks. [link to www.youtube.com] [link to www.sharkinfo.ch] |
Babsi
(OP) User ID: 1185227 Egypt 12/05/2010 06:10 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | [link to english.aljazeera.net] "It is unusual to have four attacks in a week," Rolf Schmid, the manager of the Sinai Diver's Centre, said. "The attack happened in a shallow area called Middle Garden north of Naama Bay, and the whole area hasn't had sharks for the past 10 to 15 years." The environment ministry said on Thursday that it had caught and killed the two sharks behind the first attacks, but there were doubts over whether the sharks had been correctly identified. Conservation concerns But the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) said that photographs of the dead sharks and pictures taken shortly before one of the attacks did not appear to show the same fish. The conservation group warned against "randomly catching and killing" sharks in the area. Arm Ali, the Director of HEPCA, told Al Jazeera: "We are talking about an area that has major natural resources ... and you cannot start eliminating sharks and taking them out of the water because an incident or two happened. "This ... happens every one or two years. We have frenzied sharks in the water because of illegal fishing, because of zero enforcement on long-line fishing, but we cannot start emptying our national parks of sharks until we find the suspected one." |