Fed up in Sharm El Sheikh

[Doc Harry]

Sharks eating tourists... Terrorists blowing up tourists... I am not surprised that tourism is down.

I was fortunate to spend a few years traveling extensively in that part of the world a couple of decades ago, at a time when I felt safe - and was safe - walking alone at night, say, in the middle of Cairo, or Karachi or Tunis. Too bad, there are so many beautiful places out there, I wish that I could return. Probabaly never again in my lifetime. It ain't the sharks I'm worried about...

 

[Solly]

I am not sure about Karachi or Tunis but Cairo is still safe !

 

[tacky]

Some time since there were bombings in Sinai now and tourism picked up after that.

There's still a conflict going on between the Egyptian government and the native bedouin tribes who are fiercely independent, but tourists are not a target.

In general you had a spike in terrorism related activites in Egypt in the early 90s, but after the rise of radical islamism was crushed it cooled down. Then you had a wave of terrorist attacks in Sinai after 9/11, but last years have been pretty quiet.

I think the decline in tourism to Egypt is not about terrorism, probably not about sharks and most probably monetary problems in Europe. Egypt is a "cheap" destination and those who are likely to go there are probably the same who are in the likelihood of suffering from the Financial Crisis.

 

[Crowley]

Let's get away from the terrorist thing it happens in major world capitals as well as sharm.

macrobubble - I don't disagree. I think we've actually been busier than last year up until recently and I think in the long term there will be no impact for the dive industry as a whole. HAving had the whole of Shark and Yolanda reef to myself in recent times there is a part of me that is secretly happy, but in the short term, it does affect a lot of people.

I am hoping the tragedy might generate some long term positive result, because I also think that Sharm has, through pure greed, outgrown itself. I used to buy a Sakara in Camel bar for 10 Egyptian Pounds - now it's 25 and I refuse to set foot in the place (except for my friend's birthday, in case anybody saw me there!) Every time I come to Dahab I see the new building works on the skyline and thing that 10 years from now, Dahab will go the same way unless things change.

Sharm has become a resort for beachlubbers, not diving, and we (the divers) could all probably disappear and sharm, as an entity, would never miss us. On the other hand, it is still very very beautiful here, and potential visitors should not be put off by talk about overcrowding. If you get the right place at the right time, it's stunning. Yes, you might go to shark yolanda with 200 other divers - but you might also get there with only 6 - and that's really cool.

Maybe this was the lesson that Sharm needed to learn? I hope so...

C.

 

[peterbj7]

I was told over ten years ago that more visitors then went to Sharm to sunbathe or participate in conferences than to dive. When I FIRST went there, to what was then just known as Na'ama Bay, the ONLY people who went there were divers.

 

[Andy james]

I was coming out to sharm in a couple of weeks to bring my eleven year old daughter out for her open water referral but because of the shark attacks have opted for marsa instead. I will be coming out myself in February (either shore based or liveaboard) but in all conscience couldn't risk it with my daughter. The risk of anything happening is minimal but I couldn't live with myself if I had brought her and something happened. That's the problem you guys are going to have go deal with but we all have very short memories and I suspect within a month it will be back to normal as long as there are no more incidents.

I also agree with the comments about the number of dive boats. The last liveaboard in Egypt I did was wrecks and reefs out of sharm and our boat got holed (and our dive guide broke his arm) by another boat as about 8 all crowded around the same reef - it was crazy and I understand is even worse in summer.

I am starting to consider other places like Jordan instead as I am sure are other divers

 

[Doc Harry]

I was coming out to sharm in a couple of weeks to bring my eleven year old daughter out for her open water referral but because of the shark attacks have opted for marsa instead. I will be coming out myself in February (either shore based or liveaboard) but in all conscience couldn't risk it with my daughter. The risk of anything happening is minimal but I couldn't live with myself if I had brought her and something happened. That's the problem you guys are going to have go deal with but we all have very short memories and I suspect within a month it will be back to normal as long as there are no more incidents.

I also agree with the comments about the number of dive boats. The last liveaboard in Egypt I did was wrecks and reefs out of sharm and our boat got holed (and our dive guide broke his arm) by another boat as about 8 all crowded around the same reef - it was crazy and I understand is even worse in summer.

I am starting to consider other places like Jordan instead as I am sure are other divers

The sharks are attacking swimmers, not divers. As a scuba diver, you really have nothing to fear from sharks...

 

[Crowley]

I think Andy's comment represents the way a lot of people are thinking. Some are just scared, some don't care - but a proportion of people are thinking: I know in my heart and my head that nothing will happen, but I am not willing to take that small risk. After everything that's happened, after everything that's been published, I do not blame you for a second mate, not at all.

If you came here to Sharm with your daughter and learned to dive with me I could show you that you have nothing to fear, because the likelihood of an attack here in Naama bay is miniscule - but not completely beyond the realms of possibility. Yes, it's a bit like saying I'm not going to go to a beach with palm trees because I might get hit in the head by a coconut, but with an 11 year old child in tow - the risks are worthy of consideration.

I think it justifies what I have said all along - a reasonable, thinking, intelligent person doesn't want to come to sharm "just in case". It makes me sad, but that is not a lone voice. Egypt has problems, for sure, from the sharks to the lawmakers. All I will say is that I'd rather deal with the sharks than the authorities.

Cheers

C.

 

[DeepGeek]

I returned to Sharm in Jan 2010 after a 5 year lapse and I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd heard all kinds of things. 'Too crowded now', 'dead coral everywhere', 'no marine life', etc.

Arriving, I was exhausted after coming off a very long transatlantic flight and change at Cairo, but the new gleaming airport worked great. Remember the old military one and mounds of luggage everywhere?

A beer in a bar as the sun came down over the desert... worth the distance travelled. and the next day's dives in Tiran were excellent, a classic Red Sea wall: warm, excellent deep blue vis and healthy coral. Eagle ray swimming below us. The day boat was well organised, well briefed, the sea conditions were totally benign (by open ocean standards). It was a typical well-run setup.

The liveaboard for the next week was a bit run-down, could use a lick of paint. But certainly not crowded by other boats, we were the only one on the Thistlegorm, which, let's face it, can be a scrum at times. But compared to wedging myself in a corner of a cramped saloon, or decoing with 6 people at the last stop, it was luxury.

It's easy to forget what an incredible location Sharm has at the top of the Sinai with wrecks nearby and marine life. And easy to forget how challenging conditions can be elsewhere.

No serious currents - by which I mean no ripping tides, no clipping into a down line in 1-2 knots of ocean current, wondering how you'll find the strength to get back on the boat. No serious waves - no flying across the back of the boat as the skipper takes an 8ft on the bow, fighting to keep your breakfast down. No huddling in the warm wheelhouse after freezing in your dry suit. No peering through 3 ft of murk wondering: where did I put my reel?

You can go lots of places in the world for warm water, and there are fly-by-night operators (and good ones) everywhere. But few areas rival the Red Sea for sheer choice of good safe diving. Who cares if you have to share sites with a few people?
And the sharks won't touch you underwater so long as you stay awake and don't do anything daft like spearfish or feed fish. You're not going to get lost, you're not going to get bent and you're not going to get hypothermia.

There's 2ft of snow outside and I'm looking forward to my relaxing trip to the pyramids and Red Sea in Feb!

 

[Vassilis Vlachopoulos]

After 200+ dives in Greece (my home country) where the biggest fish was 50 cm, Sharm was a revelation. Not later than on my second day, I encountered a grey reef shark in Ras Zataar and a leopard shark in Stingray Station (The Alternatives). The later was laying on the sand at marely 7m. We sat on a circle around him - I stood right in front of him just a few metes away. I didn't feel any fear, just admiration. It was a beautiful animal. At some point -obviously annoyed by all these sudden visitors- he lifted up about a meter from the bottom, moved slowly towards me (!) and then gracefully made a turn and left ...
Needless to say that this it was a unique experience !!

Within the next few weeks I will be back in Sharm. The unfortunate situation we are discussing in these threads will certainly not discourage me from diving. Actually, I can't wait ... I am only concerned with my reaction next time I will be facing a shark. Will, this time, my admiration give way to fear ?