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The Oceanic White Tip Shark

In light of recent events here in Sharm I would like to suggest that anyone with questions about the current status in Sharm el Sheikh, to pop along to the CDWS News Page
There you will find factual information about the shark attacks that have happened recently.

I would also like to include this information supplied by the Shark Trust:

FAQ's

How rare is this in terms of behaviour? Such a spate of attacks is extremely rare and, as a pelagic (open water) species, the shark identified is rarely encountered so close to shore. As with the majority of documented attacks it is probable that these tragic events were triggered by a specific event or activity.

Why has the shark come so close to shore? Different species of shark inhabit different environments: from near-shore to open-water and the oceans depths. Oceanic Whitetips are a pelagic species generally found well offshore from the surface to ~150m in depth. It is rare to find this species close to shore and experts are working hard to identify the factor which has caused this change in behaviour.

Why is it safe for divers not snorkelers? Floating or actively swimming on top of the water leaves snorkelers in a more exposed, vulnerable position. [CDWS note: sharks behave very differently towards divers and attacks on divers is highly unlikely. Thousands of divers enjoy safe encounters with sharks in the Red Sea every year.]

Do such attacks have anything to do with higher numbers of tourists swimming in the area? Over the decades on a global scale the increased number of water users has led to an overall, relative increase in the number of shark attacks. However these numbers are still extremely low: in 2008/9 about 60 people globally were reported as attacked by a shark with a fatality rate of 4 and 5 people respectively. Sharks commonly found in the Red Sea include: Blackfin Reef Shark, Blacktip Reef Shark, Whitetip Reef Shark, Silvertip Shark, Oceanic Whitetip Shark, Grey Reef Shark, Whale Shark, Tiger Shark, Variegated Shark, Silky Shark, Sandbar Shark, Tawny Shark, Pelagic Thresher Shark, Scalloped Hammerhead Shark, Great Hammerhead Shark.

We thank the Shark Trust for the above information which we hope answers some of the queries that you may have.

To find out more about sharks pop along to the Shark Trust:

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