Another return of a giant shark to the shores of the resort Hurghada last Monday puzzled the tourists vacationing there. Fortunately, we are not talking about bloodthirsty representatives of the species, but about a whale shark that is safe for humans. They take pictures with the big fish and swim next to them, the Egyptian publication Vetogate reported.
As the newspaper noted, the appearance of the ball – the name of the sea giant in the land of the pyramids – is a good opportunity for tourism marketing, as the approach of this shark attracts travelers. They take pictures of themselves against the individual’s background and post the photos on social networks. This attracts new and new travelers to Hurghada, who, puzzled by the spectacular pictures of their colleagues, hurry to come to the resort.
Previously, a giant individual was seen in the waters of the Red Sea near Hurghada in September. At that time, her appearance also became an unexpected and significant moment, which gave an impetus to tourism in the region. It became free advertising for Egyptian resorts. Events like this give the resorts a positive image and free publicity, which is important for the tourism sector.
It is believed that the whale shark is not a predator and does not attack humans, so divers willingly swim with it. This largest representative of sharks lives in warm oceans and open seas and is under threat of extinction. The average weight is 21 tons, the length is up to 13 meters, and the life expectancy reaches 70 years. According to experts, this inert, sluggishly swimming species appeared about 60 million years ago, and despite their impressive size and largemouth, they, like whales, feed on plankton, microscopic flora, small animals, and fish. At the same time, although the whale shark is considered peaceful, there have been cases when the kidneys were injured from the impact of its tail. Experts warn lovers of thrills in the water: you should not block the path of such a shark and even more so hold on to it.
Note that tourists sometimes have the joy of seeing another unusual creature in the coastal waters. It is about a creature that almost disappeared due to human fault – “mermaids” (read details here).