Tiger, tiger burning bright!

[clive francis]

the GW attack actually happened, it was in the UK national press (front page) as the guy was UK, the doctor that treated his injuries (if I remember) said last time he saw injuries that bad was in Kosovo/Bosnia after bomb and mortar attacks.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally Oceanics don't have a bite radius the size of a mans torso +, removing complete shoulder muscles etc. in one bite. GW's are known for bite and taste and go (which this one was), the others normally hang around to finish you off.

I think you are better off adopting the attitude as in law inocent until proved otherwise ie they are there, you just don't see them enough in numbers or haven't found their usual haunt, they don't always need fresh water run offs

 

[Christian]

hi again

According to the Shark Attack Files there are no reported White Shark attack in the Red Sea, ever!

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/White/World.htm

Actually I couldn't find find any attacks reported in the Red Sea during 2001 for any type of shark (can't see statistics for 2002 yet).

Just because it's in the paper, it isn't always true. Especially when it is about sharks. In the latest years papers (especially tabloids) have written a lot of crap and untrue stories. If there really was an attack, and if it was in the later years, I'm pretty sure I would have heard of it as a member of the Shark-L board. All attacks worldwide get quite some discussion there. Are you sure this is supposed to have taken place in the Red Sea? Maybe you are mixing it up with an attack some other place?

And yes, a grown oceanic white tip for sure can inflict the injuries you describe. They can reach almost 4 meters in length. I guess one could bite a person in half if they put their mind to it (and it wasn't a huge John Candy type of guy). I met a 3.5 meter specimen during a dive of Angarosh in Sudan a couple of years a go. Totally unafraid. I have also seen them on Elphinstone and of Brother Islands in Egypt, not that big but still impressive.

About the bite and taste theory, I suggest studying Rick Martins page. There are some interesting reading concerning that theory. The white shark is not the only large potentially dangerous spieces known to bite and then leave for a while.

Concerning Bull Sharks in the Red Sea. I'm not saying it is impossible, I'm just pointing out that there are no confirmed sightings of bull sharks in the entire Red Sea, that there are no suitable environments for Bull Sharks in the Red Sea (from what is known, they seem to want proximity to fresh water) and that Bull Sharks are very hard to identify (e.g. easy to mix up with other Carcarhinus spieces) and therefore hold a sceptical position towards claimed sightings in the Red Sea - maybe I'll have to change my mind on that point over the coming years.

Everybody is entitled to believe whatever they want, and I agree that one should keep an open mind. But you have to draw the line somewhere. Some people believe in UFO:s, some say Elvis is still alive because others have claimed to see him. It's all up to you.

happy diving and watch out for the bulls ;-)

/christian

 

[clive francis]

Christian once bubbled...
hi again

According to the Shark Attack Files there are no reported White Shark attack in the Red Sea, ever!

Everybody is entitled to believe whatever they want, and I agree that one should keep an open mind. But you have to draw the line somewhere. Some people believe in UFO:s, some say Elvis is still alive because others have claimed to see him. It's all up to you.

happy diving and watch out for the bulls ;-)

/christian

It happened a while ago, ( 5 to 10 yrs may be more), there were photo's of him with his injuries and the several hundred external stiches and the hundred or more internal that you couldn't see, they had to remove part of his calf muscle to replace the soulder muscle, plus there was a statement from the surgons/doctors who worked on him.

So how can that not be true?

when you have photo's and the story from a doctor, it has to be true.

you might want to relook at your files and get them updated, because this happened.

2 days till marsa alam

 

[Christian]

I'm not saying it didn't happen, but I'm pretty sure you are mixing up either the location or the shark spieces, or the reporters mixed it up. If it happened in the Red Sea it would definetely be in the International Shark Attack Files. The file goes back 100+ years (of course not as accurate back then as in recent time).

FYI, there are a total of 5 unprovoked shark incidents reported in Egypt, 2 in Sudan and 1 in Djibouti, none in other Red Sea countries. Of course there can be other attacks, not recorded in the International Shark Attack Files, but if the story is public enough to reach british press, I'm 100% certain it would be in the files. Maybe it was written of. I know of one case where a guy was severely hurt in the Red Sea, claiming a shark attack. Later it turned out that he had been run over by a motor boat and they made the story up for some insurance reason. Don't know if it reached the press as a "shark attack" though.

BTW, it's not my files, it's run by the American Elasmobranch Society / George H. Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at Florida University + some other shark scientists. These guys are some of the most knowledgable about sharks, sharks behaviour and ... shark attacks. It is updated as soon as an incident is investigated/reported. I rather trust them than news papers when it comes to sharks. Reporters tend to get it wrong and mixing things up all the time. How many times haven't you read e.g. that divers breath oxygen?

When you go to Marsa Alam, try to get to Elphinstone Reef, go to the point of the north plateau at 40 meters (the crack) and out in the blue (east), allthough beware of the current, it's an advanced dive. Here you can many times find schooling scalloped hammerheads. I have seen 25+ sharks at one time. There are also always grey reef sharks and sometimes silvertips and oceanic whitetips.

Happy diving

/christian

 

[clive francis]

Christian once bubbled...
I'm not saying it didn't happen, but I'm pretty sure you are mixing up either the location or the shark spieces, or the reporters mixed it up. If it happened in the Red Sea it would definetely be in the International Shark Attack Files. The file goes back 100+ years (of course not as accurate back then as in recent time).

FYI, there are a total of 5 unprovoked shark incidents reported in
/christian

i saw a program on BRAVO last night When Animals Attack II and it had the guy who was attacked, it happened in acaba (spelling?)

so if that is not in you files they need to be updated

 

[vicky]

A wonderfull week. We started in Tiran, headed south to Ras Mohammed, then to the Thistlegorm, Dunraven, Alternative, Giannis D, etc. Six full diving days, 21 dives.

What we saw? Blacktip Reefshark in Thomas Reef and in Yolanda. Napoleons, Turtles, Eagle Rays and a Leopard shark near the Alternative.

No luck with Bulls, Sylkys, Oceanics, Tigers, Great Whites, Whale or Hammerhead sharks... Maybe next time, but I doubt it.

Once again I noticed how much ignorancy divers have with fish identification. Lots of times people claimed after the dive to have seen a "huge Manta" or "guitar Shark" that appeared to be a stingray, or a "great Barracuda" that was actually a spearfish. One diver claimed the leopard shark was a tiger (they look completely different!!). My suggestion is to buy a good book and learn to identify the fishes. It makes more fun and also knowing "where the fish lives and what the fish eats" make it much easier to look for them in the right place underwater!

Enjoy.

My next Sharm Seafari: April. See you by then

 

[Lazarus]

he guy's im right on the way .. starting friday evening ..
see you saturday morning on the boat from sinai divers

have fun
*lol*

 

[KaaWazuri]

OH...
I WAS WORKING IN SHAREM FOR 6 YEARS.
DIVING DAILY THE WHOLE YEAR LONG.
I DID NOT SEE THAT TYPE OF SHOW IN 6 MONTHS TIME.
SEEM SOMBODY HAS LUCK...

 

[neilstewart]

Belushi,

Only just picked up this thread. I was with Emperor returned 2nd August 02 on their Mahy boat doing the North. Barry was our guide for the week and it seams this 4m tiger was getting a bit too friendly. On the Friday before we arrived it had swam straight towards Barry and his buddy with its mouth open (we heard the story at least 3 times a day) and during the week we got news that it had bumped 2 Italian dive guides.

It was on Gordon reef and was getting territorial. There was also another 2 1/2m shark and a baby around at the same time. I too would have liked to have seen it but only if I was not on the menu.

Neil

p.s. saw 3 hammerheads and a silky on a 6am dive at Shark & yolanda.

 

[ben arthur]

I've just got back from Sharm, and there were plenty of stories about 3 tiger sharks hanging around together at the straits of tiran - they were there for some time it seems although they have not been seen for about a month.

only saw one shark ojn the trip, a white-tip reef shark at Shark Reef - was nice to see it though as i did not expect to see any sharks. some others also saw a hammerhead plus the w-tip at shark reef on the same day

previous week schooling hammerheads (25 plus) had been seen at tiran

not as many fish at shark reef this time around, seems best time is june to august