In the tourist area of ​​Egypt, they again started talking about sharks: fishermen saw

At the Egyptian resorts, another “shark alarm”. Black flags flew over the beaches of Dahab, dangerously close to which a large predator was seen. But they were more frightened in Sharm el-Sheikh: although it is 100 km from the place where they saw the shark, it is not divers with surfers who rest there, as in Dahab, but ordinary vacationers far from water extremes.

After talking with compatriots who are now on the Red Sea Riviera, we found out what is being done there for their safety.

Why, in fine weather, black flags suddenly flew over the Dahab beaches, meaning a complete ban on entering the water, the Egyptian press commented with restraint only after two days of noise and panic in the Dahab public. Through the media, the Egyptian Ministry of the Environment, represented by the head of the maritime department, Mr. Mohammed Salem, informed citizens that “a large individual was seen in the Dahab lagoon on Monday, but no accidents with bathers were recorded. And the beaches of the entire region are closed preventively – until it is found out what kind of species it is and how dangerous it is for people.

“We were one of the first to be informed about the shark,” says Ruslan, a Russian-speaking instructor at the Dahab dive club. – Still, we are professionals, we serve mainly technical divers, so our client will not faint from fear. We were also asked to carefully convey the bad news to ordinary tourists.

– Are there many ordinary ones in Dahab?

– There are a lot of Russians, many people love this place in Egypt, here is the real Sinai without any corrals with “all inclusive”. Although our clients also consider surfers, kiters, wakeboarders and others as “ordinary”, if they are amateurs and do it only once a year on vacation. But they themselves, perhaps, consider themselves experienced people in water extreme sports.

– And how did you convey the shark news? And how did ordinary holiday-goers take it?

– They kept silent that the predator was seen by local fishermen, who already know something, but they understand fish. They said that just the beachgoers noticed and wrote in social networks. And fear has big eyes, maybe it wasn’t a shark. But until experts check this, you should refrain from swimming. And in response, social networks are opened on my phone, where it is written that “our” shark is at least three meters in length. And in such cases, even the Russians do not violate the ban on swimming.

According to local residents, who mainly live by fishing, they were allowed to go to sea in boats as early as Tuesday. And by Wednesday, some of the beaches were opened, but not all. Why, in fact, ordinary Dahab vacationers, who had previously honestly observed the taboo at sea, had the most questions.

“Then I refuse to understand the meaning of this action,” fumes 27-year-old Muscovite Anna, who flew to Dahab for kiting, which is promoted here – riding on water with the help of a “wing”. – I got out only for a week, since September 1 I have a job, in winter I can hardly get out to the warm seas, but I can’t go to the sea! Well, ok, if it’s a shark, then you’re out of luck, of course, but the prohibition is clear. But now some of the lagoons are open, some are closed, how is that? She can swim in some, but not in others, or what?

According to the vacationers themselves, part of the Dahab lagoons may already be equipped with anti-shark nets. But then why were they closed in the first place? After all, you cannot erect metal barriers in one day if they were not there before. I address this question to local rescuers.

– The ban on swimming is lifted when the risk for an ordinary bather becomes less than a certain percentage, – answers a lifeguard named Ali, he comes to Dahab for a part-time job from the ex-Soviet republic. I won’t tell you exactly what percentage, this is inside information. But for your information: 47 species of sharks live in the Mediterranean Sea, and only 44 in the Red Sea. However, there are almost no bans on swimming in the Mediterranean.

– But why?

– There is no such massive catch of fish as here, and sharks feed on marine life. And here fishermen leave predators hungry. And from metal nets only harm: not sharks get stuck in them, but other smaller fish, sharks just swim up to eat them.

– So why is part of the coast open for swimming, and part not?

– Where there are large fishing nets, on the catch of which a predator can come, you can’t swim. And where they are not, she has nothing to do.

“How about just pulling out the nets?”

– What are you, it’s nothing, it’s here, one might say, a city-forming enterprise. Then not only sharks, but also people will begin to attack, you want to eat something.

And what about tech divers, the people with the highest chance of encountering a shark, as they dive into the depths of the Red Sea regularly and all year round?

“The average swimmer is more likely to attract shark attention than us,” says Igor, 51, from Moscow, a diver with almost 30 years of experience. – A diver in a wetsuit and with equipment under water, at a depth where the shark itself lives, is not perceived as prey by it. Well, maybe swim up to look at you. You will laugh, but sharks are frightened when you look into their eyes… And swimmers, from which only legs flounder under water, are immediately referred to by predators as “surface” strangers, which means they are prey. But here, too, she does not consciously attack a person, she takes him for a fur seal.

– And what about the “seals” who came for a week? Don’t go into the water?

– Now anti-shark memos have again been distributed to hotels, many Russians laugh at them, remember the joke about “whistles to scare away sharks”. But not everything said in the memos is nonsense. For example, about bright bathing accessories and jewelry: in the water they shine like fish scales, and swimwear – like the bright plumage of all the sharks’ favorite seafood. The recommendation to swim in a mask and look around is also not black humor. The shark never attacks spontaneously, it first selects the victim and studies it, swimming from behind. And it always attacks only from behind and from below. Don’t laugh, but it’s very important for sharks that you don’t see them. That’s why surfboards have eyes painted on the back: it’s for sharks. So that they think that the prey on the board sees them. And most importantly, if you see a shark attacking a person, don’t be afraid to just swim to this place, not alone, of course, but in two or three people and on a motorboat. Pregnant females usually begin to feed near the shore, and it is very important for them not to be injured. They are very careful, therefore, noticing a serious threat to their health and appetite, they will immediately refuse to eat, and the person will be saved.