Partial re-opening of Sharm's beaches

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Crowley

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I'm a Fish!
The latest from the CDWS:

CDWS update: 14 December 2010
1.Diving restrictions continue
2.Scientist recommend short-term and long-term measures to prevent shark attacks.

Restrictions on diving and watersports activities remain in Sharm el Sheikh, while safety assessments continue following the shark attacks.

CDWS would like to reassure its members that it is constantly monitoring the situation and hopes to gradually lift the restrictions in the near future. However, the organisation has underlined its priority in any decisions is the safety of visitors and its members.

The majority of areas in Sharm el Sheikh remain open to diving activities for CDWS members and their clients, however, there are the same restrictions on where these can take place and on client experience.

Qualified diving clients, who must have a minimum of 50 logged dives, are permitted to participate in scuba activities run by boat by CDWS members in the following areas:

- Area of Tiran
- All dive sites south of Naama Bay to Ras Mohammed National Park
- The entire area of Ras Mohammed National Park

Diving remains completely banned at this time in the area between Ras Nasrani to the north of Naama Bay jetty (also known local north area). No shore diving is permitted anywhere in the Sharm el Sheikh area.

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. However, training and introductory diving activities are able to take place in other resorts, such as Dahab.

Snorkelling activities and other watersports remain heavily restricted - with the exception of glass bottom boat operations and semi-submarines - along the whole of the Sharm el Sheikh coastal area. According to the latest information received by the CDWS from the South Sinai Governorate office, snorkelling/swimming in the sea is only permitted in the following areas:

- in designated safe, natural sheltered bay areas within the Ras Mohammed National Park (Hidden Bay) and the Nabq National Park. The South Sinai National Park is responsible for monitoring the safety of these activities.

- The beach areas of Naama Bay and Sharm el Maya are open for swimming and snorkeling under strict South Sinai Governorate rules and regulations that must be adhered to by all hotels in these areas.

CDWS asks members to ensure divers remain vigilant in the water, particularly in areas where sharks are present (see recommended guidelines below).

Scientists working to determine the causes of the five shark attacks confirmed there were two species involved in the incidents: one oceanic whitetip shark and one mako shark. Factors that contributed - but are not limited to - the causes of behavioural change in sharks involved in attacks were also revealed at a press conference on Sunday 12 December in Sharm el Sheikh. The following was confirmed:

- A major factor in this incident was the illegal dumping of sheep carcasses one month before the incidents.

- Illegal activities of feeding marine life. Localised feeding of reef fish and/or sharks by swimmers, snorkellers and some divers

- Depletion of natural prey in the area caused by overfishing

- Unusually high water temperatures in Sharm el Sheikh

Following the publication of these findings, leading shark expert George Burgess offered the following recommendations to Egyptian government officials:

- Not to kill any sharks

- Take serious actions to fully investigate and take action against illegal dumping of animals or other waste products

- Practice of feeding of marine wildlife, particularly reef fish and sharks, should be immediately stopped. Violations of this ban should see sufficiently high fines.

- Need for education of personnel working on boats and beach hotel staff (suitable marine environmental and lifeguard training)

- Education of tourists and the public on environmental awareness, including the dangers of feeding marine life, through films on planes, tour operator and hotel briefings, as well as dive and snorkel operation briefings.

- Strict enforcement of illegal fishing laws to ensure natural prey for animals such as sharks is not depleted.

- Investment in further shark studies in the Red Sea.

In relation to suggestions by officials at the press conference that netting should be present around some beaches, George Burgess added the following clarification:

There are two types of nets used. Meshing or gill nets are designed to kill as many sharks as possible and are totally unacceptable. Exclusion nets designed to be a barrier between sharks and swimmers do not kill marine life. These exclusion nets are recommended only in areas with flat sandy bottoms, with low current and wave action. Use of these nets in any other area would be very damaging to the environment.

For all media enquiries and information on restrictions on beach and swimming activities, please contact the South Sinai Governorate directly. Official Egyptian government spokesman, Mr Ahmed Saleh, Deputy Governor for South Sinai. Tel. +20 10 164 0441

Shark diving guidelines:

CDWS chairman Hesham Gabr said: "It is widely known sharks behave very differently towards divers in the water. However, as an extra precaution, only experienced divers are permitted to take part in guided activities in Sharm el Sheikh at this time. The 50 logged dive limit is a benchmark judged in recognised scuba standards to ensure divers have good buoyancy and control underwater and behave in a calm and controlled manner."

The following recommendations were published in BLUE magazine Issue Seven and provided by Red Sea shark researcher Dr. Elke Bojanowski:

General Rules for Observing Sharks

- Elke insists that diving with oceanic whitetip sharks can be a completely safe as well as exciting experience, but explains that (like with any other predatory shark) certain behavioural rules should be followed to avoid potentially stressful or even dangerous situations:

- Only enter the water if you are comfortable with the situation, and confident that you can stay calm

- Do not enter the water if there is any sign of feeding activity around the boat

- Be aware that you are most vulnerable on the surface, so control you buoyancy at all times

- Avoid erratic movements

- If you want (or need) to leave the water, do so in a calm and orderly fashion

- Try to avoid surfacing straight above a shark swimming below you

- To avoid oceanic whitetips coming too close for your comfort, staying next or slowly retreating to the reef might help

- Do not try to touch or in any way harass a shark

- Do not be alarmed by a shark calmly circling you, just make sure to turn with it and keep it in sight

- Stay alert and look around you from time to time to see if another shark is approaching you from behind/underneath/above; otherwise one might sneak up to you

- Generally, sharks are more reluctant to closely approach groups of divers than single ones

- REMEMBER: you are in the water with a wild predator, whose behaviour will never be 100% predictable!
 
CDWS member update: 15 December 2010: Diving activities possible for all levels of diver
22:00

On 14 December 2010 CDWS received Governor Decree # 357 for year 2010 relating to the opening of some beaches and the restart of some marine excursions in Sharm el Sheikh.

This decree caused a lot of confusion and as a result, chairman of CDWS Mr Hesham Gabr, requested a meeting this evening with the Governor of South Sinai and the Egyptian coast guard in a bid to gain some clarification for CDWS members on what activities are allowed and which are not.

As a result of this meeting, CDWS can now confirm the governor ruled upon the following:

A: for certified divers with 50 dives or more:
■Diving is allowed in all sites including shore sites.

B: for certified divers with less than 50 dives:
■Diving is allowed where there are mooring lines only.
■No drift dives are allowed.
■The area north of Naama Bay to Ras Nasrasni remains closed to this category of diver - this applies until 21.12.2010

C: for beginners courses & intro dive activities:
Diving is allowed only in the following areas (this applies until 21.12.2010)
■Sharm El Maya
■Naama Bay
■Sharks Bay (from the shore only)
■South & North Lagoona in Tiran
■Nabq Bay

D: other divers
■For advanced training of divers with 50 dives or more, the same rules as category A applies.
■For advanced training of divers with less than 50 dives, the same rules as category B applies.
■Rescue training is temporarily not allowed due to the following reasons :
1.to avoid prolonged time spent on the surface performing skills.
2.to avoid causing panic to tourists due to the simulated behaviour of the diver playing the role of a victim.

E: Snorkelling
■Snorkelling excursions by boats are allowed only in all areas of Tiran.
■No drift snorkelling is allowed. Other areas remain banned - this applies until 21.12.2010

F: Glass bottom boats and semi-subs
■Glass bottom boats & semi-subs are working as usual.

G: Banana, tube and water ski
■Activities of banana, tube and water ski remain banned until further notice.

CDWS will keep members informed as soon as we receive further updates from the Governor's office
 
Well, any oceanic white tip can bite a swimmer. It's very unusual, but not completely out of character.
But the report is a disappointment. It doesn't provide any usable facts, just vague information. It mentions altered behavior, but doesn't provide anything to substantiate the claim. It gives a confused impression. First it states that Bojanowski says it "...can be completely safe..." to dive with OWT. A few lines farther down it reads "...REMEMBER: you are in the water with a wild predator, whose behaviour will never be 100% predictable!..."
 
I think the key word in the statment is that it CAN be completely safe, rather than says IS completely safe.

On the latest release, it mentions that divers with <50 dives can do dives with moorings but not drift dives.
Anyone have a dive site list handy that can name some of the suitable sites. Perhaps one of the Sharm DMs/instructors (Crowley, Bunny & Shadow I seem to recall work local) can help me with this one, .. (no offence to the others of you out there that i have missed, I am not familiar with all the names yet)
 
Sooooo the theory that the bulk of the problem was one oceanic white tip that for some reason had started targeting surface swimmers/snorkelers has now been dismissed?

Nope - the female in question is still in the area - this is why the restrictions are still in place in some locations - this is where she is most frequently spotted, where the attacks took place. So far I don't think she's been seen in Tiran - even though this is quite close to Ras Nasrani.

The only mooring dive sites available to those with less than 50 dives in the south of the local area: Ras Katy, Temple, Ras Umm el Sid. In Tiran: Jackson and Gordon Reefs. There are no moorings in Ras Mohamed. It's dead quiet at the moment so it shouldn't be tooooo busy and there is some great diving to be had in these locations.

Cheers

C.
 
I think the key word in the statment is that it CAN be completely safe, rather than says IS completely safe. [/I]

It says can, but what's the difference? If you state that it CAN be completely safe, I think you're diluting people. Because it can't. It can be relatively safe, if you know what you're doing, but never completely safe.
 
Well I'm running our local boat tomorrow - with all of 5 people - if you don't hear from me by saturday night, then it wasn't completely safe.

The brave things I do for you guys...

oops tongue stuck in cheek again! :D

C.
 
We just got back from Sharm! 9 days of diving from the Thistlegorm around to the Tunnel. We saw 1 Oceanic White Tip at 25m. We dove with Anthias off of Power 3 and it was fantastic!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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