Suspension of all diving and watersports activities in Sharm el Sheikh

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A bit late, sorry:

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[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]PRESS RELEASE

CDWS statement update Sunday 5 December 22:00
- Diving and all watersports activities suspended in Sharm el Sheikh
- CDWS call in world renowned Shark Experts

CDWS announced this evening that all diving and watersports activities have been suspended along the Sharm El Sheikh coastline tomorrow (Monday 6 December 2010).

The suspension comes following a 4th incident in less than one week involving a shark attack on a tourist. Today's event took place off the beach in front of the Hyatt hotel, Naama Bay. Unfortunately, the 71 year old German woman did not survive.

Last week, three similar attacks took place involving one Ukranian and two Russian snorkellers. These incidents led to severe injuries, but no loss of life.

CDWS is the regulatory body for diving and watersports in Egypt and would like to emphasise that such attacks are extremely rare and this kind of shark behaviour is causing disbelief amongst the Red Sea diving community.

CDWS has over recent days called upon a number of experts from around the world including Dr Marie Levine (Head of the Shark Research Institute in Princeton), Dr Erich Ritter (a specialist in behavioural ecology), Dr Ralph Collier (Shark Research Committee and author of Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century) and Dr. George H. Burgess (director of the Florida Program for Shark Research) in order to build a team of professionals in the field of shark behaviour.

Dr Burgess is also the director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and the curator of the International Shark Attack File (Florida Museum of National History) and will be the first to arrive in Sharm el Sheikh on Monday evening to join the team here in the resort. Together they will establish the best way to deal with this highly unusual situation and attempt to find the root of its cause.

CDWS chairman Hesham Gabr has called on the organisation's members to conduct further exploratory dives tomorrow along the Sharm el Sheikh coast in order to report back to the shark experts. He would also like to express his sympathies to the family of today's victim.
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CDWS shark incident update: diving possible tomorrow in Sharm el Sheikh

6 December 14:00

The majority of areas in Sharm el Sheikh will be open to diving activities for CDWS members and their clients tomorrow (7 December), however, please note a series of restrictions apply on where these can take place and on client experience. All snorkel activities and other watersports - with the exception of glass bottom boat operations - remain suspended in the whole of the Sharm el Sheikh coastal area.

Qualified diving clients, who must have a minimum of 50 logged dives, are permitted to participate in scuba activities run by CDWS members in the areas of Tiran and all sites south of Naama Bay. Diving remains completely banned at this time in the area between Ras Nasrani to the north of Naama Bay where the Ras Mohammed National Park teams are currently working.

Under NO circumstances are introductory or training dives permitted to take place in the sea anywhere in Sharm el Sheikh until CDWS members are notified otherwise.

Following discussions with sharks experts and a series of exploratory dives, it was decided that the areas to be opened, which include the Ras Mohammed National Park and popular sites such as the Thistlegorm, were safe for experienced diving activities. CDWS would like to make it clear that no divers have been involved in any of the incidents reported.

CDWS is working with four world-renowned shark experts at this time. Three of the experts will be arriving over the next two days in Sharm el Sheikh to form an advisory team to try to assess and advise on the best course of action following the four shark attacks in areas north of Naama Bay this week.

Dr George H Burgess, the director of the Florida Program and curator of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History for Shark Research, is flying to the resort today. Arriving tomorrow are: Dr Marie Levine, head of the Shark Research Institute in Princeton, USA, and Dr Ralph Collier, of the Shark Research Committee and author of Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century. Shark behavioural expert Dr Erich Ritter is assisting from his research centre based in the USA. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) is funding all the costs involved.

A Swedish research vessel is currently surveying the topography of the ocean around Sharm el Sheikh in order to supply data to shark experts to assist their work. CDWS enlisted the help of this vessel to carry out the topography survey and secured all the relevant permissions.

CDWS would like to assure all members that the organisation is working continuously with all the relevant authorities and shark experts to try to resolve this situation in the most appropriate and safe way for all concerned. The CDWS also stresses to all members and the public that it does not in any way condone the random killing of sharks.
 
CDWS is working with four world-renowned shark experts at this time....Shark behavioural expert Dr Erich Ritter is assisting from his research centre based in the USA.
Didn't I see a video of the good doctor holding forth on how to properly interact with bull sharks just seconds before one chomped down on his leg? :rofl3:
 
As long as "all concerned" includes the sharks Im happy. Continuing to slaughter sharks just because theire out there, like theive ALWAYS been because of our mistakes or one (or a few) rogue individuals is just beyond stupid..
 
Thanks for the continual updates. Of all the sharks, only the White Tipped Oceanics give me the willies! I've never seen one while in the water, and I want to keep it that way. I have seen one while safely on a boat, and I want to keep it that way. :D
 
Of all the sharks, only the White Tipped Oceanics give me the willies!
Yes, mostly thanks to this post by Bret Gilliam.
 
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Yes, mostly thanks to this post by Bret Gilliam.
That's a good read... but that wasn't the reason.

Of all the sharks, these guys are a true pelagic. They can't afford to miss an opportunity, so anything that swims near them becomes dinner. The number of "attacks" would be higher if they counted the many sailors eaten by them, like those from the USS Indianapolis. They are the most dangerous shark to encounter in the wild.l
 

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