Shark attacks along the coastline of the Red Sea in the Sharm El-Sheikh resort in Egypt killed a European traveler and wounded several others over the past days. Three Russians and one Ukranian visitor were mauled by sharks, and a Russian woman lost her hand when it was bitten off. This unfortunate event has alerted the Egyptian government, and the latter has restricted its 30-mile Red Sea Coastline to the general public.
Divers, particularly the inexperienced ones, were ushered into another major resort that was closest to Sharm. Dahab is just 50 miles north from the latter. The waters of Sharm, however, remained open for the more expert divers. A 2-mile portion was kept closed because this was where the previous attacks from sharks occurred. Visitors who wished to snorkel and swim at Sharm were allowed to, only in three areas namely a national park, some mangroves, and closed bays.
The Red Sea Coast is one of the world’s most popular diving areas, and Sharm el-Sheikh has a reputation for its first-class resort facilities. The weather is warm, and the place is filled with steep diving sites, as well as colorful coral reefs, and an observatory deck for viewing wild sharks. This is why the series of shark attacks alerted US researchers, who immediately made their way to investigate the event. Under normal circumstances, wild sharks rarely visit the area, so when the shark attacks occurred, authorities panicked as the accidents meant a huge impact on tourism in Egypt.