"Shark Attack Survivors News Archive"

06/02/2009 Katrina Tipio ( Egypt ) ***Fatal***

Listing of the Shark Attack Related Incidents occurring in 2009. 2009 Shark Attacks
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sharkbait
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Re: 06/02/2009 Katrina Tipio ( Egypt ) ***Fatal***

Post by sharkbait »

Open Letter from HEPCA To all Dive Guides
Written by HEPCA
Sunday, 14 June 2009


Most of you are aware of the death of the snorkeler at St. Johns by an Oceanic WhiteTip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) earlier this month. The death was especially tragic because it could have been avoided if guests had been stopped from snorkelling.

Allowing guests to snorkel at St. Johns and other Far Islands, especially when C. longimanus is presence, is highly unprofessional. Not only does it place guests at risk of injury, but such unprofessional action gives the whole Egyptian Red Sea dive industry a bad reputation.

Since the death of the snorkeler, dive guides have reported to HEPCA that some C. longimanus at the Far Islands are displaying overly inquisitive or even aggressive behaviour towards them while diving. This included sharks near the surface moving rapidly towards divers at 30 m. Others have reported being bumped, tanks nudged and sharks swimming extremely close to them and their guests.

There may be a number of reasons why these animals are behaving this way. It could be due to the illegal actions of some divers who have been feeding them in these areas or boat crews baiting them. Alternatively, or in combination with, it may be due to natural seasonal causes relating to reproduction or the presence of natural prey. Whatever the reason(s), we urge guides to be especially vigilant when diving in areas where C. longimanus is commonly encountered. In light of this recent information, we have expanded our earlier list of recommendations when taking guests to areas where this species is commonly encountered. The earlier and new recommendations are:

No swimming and snorkelling in waters where this and other large species of sharks are known to frequent
No deliberate feeding of this species or the dumping of waste from boats which may attract this and other potentially dangerous sharks (both activities are illegal in Egyptian waters)
No SCUBA diving without an experienced dive guide in waters where this species is known to frequent
In areas such as the Far Islands, where this species is frequently observed, it is advisable that divers enter (and are retrieved from) the water as close as possible to the reef.
In areas such as the Far Islands it is illegal to be involved in any night diving activities.
Dive in groups and keep close together.
Two dive guides should accompany each group.
Divers should leave the water immediately if sharks display signs of aggression such as nudging or circling divers, or moving rapidly towards them.
Report to HEPCA any incidents of aggressive behaviour by these animals towards divers, and
Report to HEPCA the names of vessels whose divers or crew are observed feeding or baiting sharks.

Until recently, the Egypt Red Sea diving industry had an impressive track record of safely introducing divers to one of the largest and wide-ranging predators on the planet. With your help we would like to rebuild that record. For more information of this species in the Egyptian Red Sea go to: http://www.longimanus.info/species-info.htm

http://www.hurghada-information.com/ind ... &Itemid=87
helmi
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

Re: 06/02/2009 Katrina Tipio ( Egypt ) ***Fatal***

Post by helmi »

LATEST NEWS 03 / 06 / 09

Woman killed by shark in Red Sea
By Simon Rogerson

A woman has been attacked and killed by an oceanic white-tip shark while snorkelling in southern Egypt.

The attack took place in a part of St John's Reef, where safari liveaboards had been illegally feeding sharks days before the attack.

The woman, a French tourist in her 50s, was part of a group on the liveaboard Le Nautile when the attack took place. About 20 snorkellers were in the water observing the shark when the woman moved away from the group and duck-dived towards it.

According to Egypt's Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CWDS), the woman was bitten on the leg when she surfaced, and the shark was still biting her as she was pulled onto the boat. Once on the boat, the woman lost consciousness and died soon after.

Such attacks are extremely rare in the Red Sea, and there have been suggestions that the shark's behaviour was affected by shark feeding that had taken place in the same area. 'Two safari boats had been involved in feeding sharks in this area,' CDWS spokesman Mary Gleeson said. 'Investigations by both the National Park and CDWS are already underway, and if the allegations are found to be true, the boat operators will face severe penalties.

'Shark-feeding is a serious violation of Red Sea rules, and an act that can severely disturb the sensitive marine eco-system and behaviour of marine animals.'

The last person killed by a shark in Egypt was another snorkeller attacked near Sharm El Sheikh in 2004, according to the Global Shark Attack File.

http://www.divemagazine.co.uk/news/article.asp?uan=5222
helmi
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

06/02/2009 Katrina Tipio ( Egypt ) ***Fatal***

Post by helmi »

A French tourist was attacked and killed by a shark while diving in the Red Sea south of Marsa Alam.
The woman suffered injuries to her leg.

Shark kills French tourist off Egypt's Red Sea coast
Tue Jun 2, 2009 3:51pm BST

CAIRO (Reuters) - A shark attacked and killed a French tourist diving in a remote site off Egypt's Red Sea coast on Tuesday, in the first fatal shark attack in the Arab country since 2004, state media and a French embassy official said.

"I can confirm that there is one French citizen killed by a shark in the Red Sea south of Marsa Alam," French embassy spokesman Jean-Marie Safa said.

The woman's leg showed visible bite marks, and she likely bled to death before being lifted to the surface, Egyptian state news agency MENA quoted a medical source as saying.

Marsa Alam is a remote southern dive spot on the Red Sea coast frequented by tourists hoping to avoid the crowds at more popular sites in the Sinai peninsula, where tourists flock in large numbers for the colourful coral reefs.

"This very rarely happens. It seems that the victim aggravated the shark or presented it with food, which caused a change in the shark's behaviour," MENA quoted Amr Ali, the president of the Society for the Preservation of the Red Sea Environment, as saying.

Sharks are common in the area and tourists often take pictures, but attacks are rare. The last person killed by a shark in Egypt was attacked while snorkelling near the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in 2004, according to the Global Shark Attack File website (sharkattackfile.net). Egypt's Environment Ministry is looking to set up a natural reserve for the sharks near Marsa Alam, where it already has a similar reserve for dolphins, MENA added.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/i ... FJ20090602
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