Although hotels in Egypt are ordered to take care of the “anti-shark” protection of beaches, reality does not always coincide with the orders of officials. Among hotels in Egypt, only 7 to 10% are equipped with nets that protect tourists from sharks, and this also applies to Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. Such data were presented by the mass media, referring to the data of tour operators and tourism retailers.
According to the mass media, only 20 of more than 300 hotels in Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh have nets – this information was provided by the Association of Tour Operators (ATOR). As reported by retail agencies, according to data only for Hurghada, the share of hotels with safety nets does not exceed 10%.
“Setting up shark nets for Egypt is quite a complex process as there are yacht mooring piers and environmental restrictions. But, as a rule, they have the most popular accommodation facilities,” explained the experts of the tour service.
At the same time, let us remind you that in mid-June Hurghada hotels received a “categorical order” to check the “anti-shark” protection and safety system on the beaches, including safety nets, after which the beaches in Hurghada were reopened, but not all. Also, the hotels were obliged to organize special rescuers, whose task will essentially be “protection from fools”. They will have to monitor the stay of tourists only in areas safe for swimming. Moreover, it is supposed to be allocated for diving excursions and other activities at sea. Moreover, hotels and diving centers were threatened with sudden official and “secret” checks that check “shark safety”, and those who ignore them are threatened not only with a fine but also with closure.
The government also promises to allocate separate forces to monitor shark movements in the Red Sea. Recall that according to researchers, the entire summer period can be “shark-dangerous”, and the risk of shark attacks will remain at least until August. The reason is biology. As explained by Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Radi, a marine environment professor at the National Institute of Marine Sciences in the Red Sea, the type of shark that attacked the tourist belongs to the infamous type of tiger shark that often attacks swimmers and divers. They live where the currents are quite warm, and even when the water warms up, sharks swim in shallow water. The main reason is to protect the cubs from being eaten by male sharks. At the same time, the dangerous season begins in May – when sharks are looking for a safe place and are aggressive – and lasts until August. Read the details in this article.
We will remind you that another terrible and unusual reason why a shark attacked and ate a Russian tourist in Hurghada was named by local fishermen. Ahmed al-Maghrabi, head of the Damietta fishing syndicate in Egypt, said that merchant ship owners often secretly dump dead or sick livestock in the open sea. What “feeds” sharks?