Beaches in Sharm el Sheikh are set to reopen after a series of shark attacks forced their temporary closure.
South Sinai Governor Mohamed Abdel Fadil Shousha said that new measures will be put in place to safeguard swimmers. These measures include:
- watch stations along the shore, manned by professional divers with binoculars who will monitor the waters,
- continuous patrols by speedboats,
- designated areas for swimmers, and
- a ban on feeding sharks.
Mr Shousha said: "We have allowed the beaches to reopen on condition hotel owners adhere to new controls to ensure the safety of foreign tourists while diving or swimming."
Beaches in Sharm el Sheikh were initially closed and almost all water sports suspended after three Russian snorkellers were badly injured after being bitten in separate attacks on 30 November and 1 December. A Ukrainian also suffered severe injuries after being mauled.
It is thought that these attacks involved an oceanic white tip shark and a mako shark. Local fishermen caught one of each type of shark, which were declared to be the animals responsible for the attacks, even though shark experts said that there was no evidence that this was the case.
The beaches were reopened, but on 5 December a 70-year-old German woman died after being mauled by an oceanic white tip shark while snorkelling, and water sports were again suspended in the area.
Shark biologist Ian Fergusson, patron of the Shark Trust, has said that while oceanic white tips are common in the region, it is unusual for swimmers to encounter them in shallow waters. This is because, as their name suggests, they are usually found in the open ocean. He also said that it was very rare to find mako sharks in the Red Sea, and exceptionally rare to find them so close to the shore.
Shark experts have been trying to understand why these attacks have happened. One theory is that luring sharks into shallow waters with chum (a bait mixture of oil and fish parts) so that they can be filmed and hand fed is causing them to associate humans with food.
However, speculation has focused on an unidentified ship which apparently dumped animal carcasses overboard when it passed close by to Sharm el Sheikh, thereby attracting large numbers of sharks to the area.
The Red Sea is one of the most popular diving and holiday spots in the world. If you are planning a holiday there, remember to check for and pay attention to any safety signs on the beach. If you are not sure what the different colour flags mean, then ask a life guard. Always obey any instruction from a life guard.