Three swimmers injured by shark attack in Egypt

by Sean McLachlan on

Three Russian tourists have been injured by a shark in the waters off Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, the BBC reports. The Red Sea resort, popular with swimmers and scuba divers, rarely has problems with sharks. It appears to have been an oceanic whitetip, which Jacques Cousteau once called “the most dangerous of all sharks” in his book The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea.

One of the victims is in critical condition. Most of the waters around Sharm El-Sheikh have been made off-limits until authorities can capture the shark and release it into the open ocean.

There have been some grim incidents involving sharks in recent months, including the human remains found in the stomach of a shark in the Bahamas. That said, it’s important to remember that the average swimmer has a very low risk of being attacked by one. You’re much more likely to drown. So if you’re into the ocean, keep an eye out for sharks, but be more aware of things like weather and currents.

[Photo courtesy Thomas Ehrensperger via Wikimedia Commons]

Human remains found inside shark in the Bahamas

by Kraig Becker on

Last weekend, three fishermen in the Bahamas got more than they bargained for when they reeled in a 12-foot long tiger shark along the Exuma archipelago. At first glance, it seemed like just another catch, but later, when they cut it open, they made the grim discovery of two human arms and two legs, plus a torso in the shark’s stomach. The fisherman say that they believed the remains were that of a man, although there were no distinguishing features to be seen.

At this time, the identify of the victim is still unknown, and DNA tests are being conducted. Bahamian police say they’re also working to determine if the man was alive or dead when he was eaten, as tiger sharks seldom attack humans while they are alive. They also confirmed that two people have been reported missing in the region lately, although they haven’t ruled out the possibility of a local sailor having their boat capsize while attempting to make the arduous journey to Florida.

Shark experts say that while the tiger shark isn’t overly aggressive, they have been known to attack humans on rare occasions, and when they do, those attacks are seldom fatal. As you can imagine, officials in the Bahamas are also quick to downplay the attack and are reminding visitors to the islands that their warm, tropical waters are completely safe.

Just in case though, you may want to stick to the pool for awhile.

[Photo credit: Albert Kok]

Enjoying the ocean means taking care of it

by Brenda Yun on

A recent article in The Economist outlines how man is destroying the ocean. It reports, “Man has changed the landscape and the atmosphere. It would be odd if the seas, which he has for centuries used for food, for transport, for dumping rubbish and, more recently, for recreation, had not also been affected.” Despite being an avid ocean-goer myself, I have to agree with this assessment. Furthermore, it should not be too surprising that as man continues to utilize the ocean’s resources, whether it be for food, transportation, waste disposal, or recreation, the ecosystem below is changing.

The recent shark attacks in Australia and the shark sightings in Hawaii back in October clearly parallel this hard reality. While it’s important to enjoy our waters, it’s equally important to do our job as citizens in this world to protect them. That means doing small things like not touching the reef or getting in close contact with marine life. It also means choosing cleaner modes of water transport like sailing. It means being vigilant about where we throw our trash, and most of all it means we have to educate ourselves and understand the conditions of the sea.

With proper care and vigilance, the ocean can be a place our future generations can enjoy as we do. Otherwise, as The Economist article puts it, “The possibility of widespread catastrophe is simply too great.”

Sharks Get Violent at Dubai Mall Aquarium

by Josh Lew on

Come shop in the mall recently built in the shadow of the Dubai Burj, the world’s tallest building. You will enjoy over 1,200 of the world’s finest shops and a huge, glittery gold market…and see a 10-million liter aquarium in which divers and small fish are ravaged by gigantic sharks.

The aggressive sharks are part of a 33,000 specimen tank at the 12-million-square-foot Dubai Burj Mall. The tank includes an acrylic tunnel that people can walk through and gaze up at the aquatic life. The mall’s grand opening was marred when the large sand sharks attacked and killed nearly 40 smaller sharks. I doubt that the mall’s goal was to remind people of the casual brutality of nature before they began browsing through the world’s largest gold market. I’m sure the goal was spectacle, but naturally aggressive sand sharks do not mix well with other sharks in a closed environment. Divers performing maintenance on the interior of the tank have also been attacked, though no fatalities have been reported.

You Won’t Get Eaten By A Shark

by Jonathon Morgan on

Despite whatever fears you may still harbor thanks to Jaws, Jaws – The Revenge, Jaws 2, or Jaws 3-D, chances are, you won’t be attacked by a shark during while on vacation.

This past year sharks killed only 4 people and bit 58 others around the world. According to George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida, “The reality is, as a biologist, this is a non-problem. It’s a minor, minor thing.”

While no matter where you travel, shark attacks are highly unlikely, arguably your worst bet is Florida, which accounted for two-thirds of the 38 sharkbites in the United States. However, this is probably only due to the year-round swimming weather, and the subsequently high-number of people that use these waters for recreation. The four shark-related deaths were in the waters off Australia, Brazil, Reunion Island (in the Indian Ocean) and Tonga (in the South Pacific).

The research didn’t include what they considered to be provoked attacks — such as when fishermen catch sharks. But if you’re provoking a shark, you’re pretty much asking for it — right?