Which leads us straight away to the myriads of speculations invading all media, from broadcast news to on-line articles. Theories trying to explain this very unusual chain of events are springing up like mushrooms and are not always what could be considered testimonials of common sense. There are however, a number of plausible explanations making their way into the world. Fish feeding (see previous blog), shark feeding and even dead sheep floating in the sea. “Shark feeding disrupts the marine ecology and associates man with food in the mind of the sharks”, according to Dr. Hanafy, professor of marine biology at the Suez Canal University. It should come as no surprise then, that sharks could easily mistake snorkellers for food in areas where feeding takes place.

The Oceanic Whitetip shark, the species thought to be responsible for the biting incidents, is an opportunistic feeder with an extremely varied diet and a specific appetite for dead or diseased animals. The dumping of dead sheep in the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba by a livestock-transporting ship, just a few weeks ago, will surely have been an easy feeding opportunity for the Oceanic Whitetip sharks in the area. From here, it only takes a small leap to considering the possibility that the recent shark biting incidents are the result of mistaken identity of prey by the shark. Unfortunately but as most often the case, a human action that triggered an unwanted response in the animal’s behaviour.

All hope is now focussed on the collaboration between the relevant authorities and the team of international experts, all expected to arrive over the next couple of days, to come to an acceptable and safe solution for all parties involved. Without the killing of random sharks in the area.

Sources:
http://www.theepochtimes.com, http://www.redseasharks.org, http://www.cdws.travel, http://www.telegraph.co.uk, http://www.france24.com, http://www.longimanus.info, http://www.sharktrust.org

As pointed out also by the Shark Trust organization, let’s underline the fact that this kind of behaviour is very unusual. Shark “attacks” on humans are extremely rare, and when they do occur, it is a possible case of mistaken identity of a human for the shark’s normal prey. Some of these attacks could also be the result of feeding or antagonistic behaviour of the shark rather than misinterpretation.

In any case, it is plausible that the attacks in Sharm were triggered by a specific activity or event. In fact, one thing that springs to mind is something that unfortunately is occurring more and more along the shores of the Red Sea: fish feeding. Swimmers, snorkellers or simply bathers venture into the sea with pieces of bread or any other kind of food that is guaranteed to attract loads of small reef fishes. They do this because it is fun to watch and it looks great on camera: the wife in bikini surrounded by hordes of tropical fish. What they don’t realize however is that by doing so they not only disturb the natural food balance but are also creating a fish frenzy. A fish frenzy could, in turn, attract a larger predator such as the Oceanic.

As much as the events from the last couple of days are regrettable (and hopefully the victims will recover completely from their injuries), we can only hope that what happened will not trigger the usual “shark hysteria”, resulting in the killing of numerous innocent creatures. If one has a closer look at the statistics, more humans are killed every year by dogs, bees, lightning and vending-machine-related accidents than by sharks. Sharks are among the most misunderstood creatures on the planet, thanks to years and years of misleading media attention (think about “Jaws”), turning them into ruthless killing machines.

At this day and age, sharks have gone from the magnificent predators of the oceans to prey, with over 100 million (!) of them being slaughtered every year for their fins, mainly destined to the Asian market. Most often sharks are still alive when their carcass gets thrown back into the sea after having their fins cut off. In the near future, sharks could easily be wiped off the planet (thanks to human greed), which will almost certainly destabilize the planet’s marine ecosystems. Sharks are vitally important to marine ecosystems because they remove diseased animals and maintain the ocean’s balance of predators and prey. The fact that they have been around for over 400 million years would make you think that nature created them for a reason!

So, before we all give in to “Shark el Sheikh” hysteria, let’s get informed, educated and learn the truth about sharks. And think twice next time you want to get a snack out of a vending machine.

To find out more about sharks, check out the following websites:
Sharkwater: www.sharkwater.com, Shark Trust: www.sharktrust.org

Sources: www.sharkwater.com, www.sharktrust.org

Juvenile Oceanic whitetip shark.

On occasions when surfing the web for some photographic inspiration, I come across photographers that can really touch your soul with their work. I would like to direct you to a truely inspirational underwater photographer, John Scarlett. In particular his pictoral essay on loving sharks.

Only too often when speaking to people that I come in contact with and start talking about what we do, the first question is, “But what about the sharks, have you ever been attacked?” I smile and just put their ignorance down to a lack of education. Of course I try hard to educate, but I am always left thinking, are they walking away thinking “crazy fool!”

Our mission statement  is to convey the beauty that lies beneath and to target those who do not know about the natural treasures that are so often overlooked and destroyed in the quest for global expansion.

You don’t think Sharks come into this category? Take a look at some of Johns’ work, also absorb the narration.

For the un-educated, I hope you change your mind.

Loving Sharks | A Pictoral essay by John Scarlett