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December 8th 2010
Red Sea Shark Attacks in Perspective

Posted under Red Sea

A friend told me about this excellent article about the shark attack in Sharm el Sheikh.

Go read it, it puts the situation into perspective.

You can find the article here: Red Sea Shark Attacks in Perspective

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December 7th 2010
Diving possible in Sharm el Sheikh

Posted under Red Sea

Here is the newest CDWS update about diving in Sharm el Sheikh.

The press release can be found here

CDWS update: 8 December diving possible in Sharm el Sheikh

7 December 16.00

The majority of areas in Sharm el Sheikh will once again be open to diving activities for CDWS members and their clients tomorrow (8 December), however, please note that
the same restrictions will apply on where these can take place and on client experience. All snorkelling activities and other watersports – with the exception of glass bottom boat operations – remain suspended in the whole of the Sharm el Sheikh coastal area.

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 Mohamed National Park

- the entire area of Ras Mohamed National Park

Diving remains completely banned at this time in the area between Ras Nasrani to the north of Naama Bay.

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.

CDWS has asked divers to remain vigilant and report any shark behaviour they see to the organisation’s office in Sharm el Sheikh. This information – where possible – should include location, time and specific type of shark. Please also note down the behaviour, depth, duration at particular depths and how long the sighting lasts for.

This information should be emailed to one of the following people at the CDWS office:

Amr Elbendary: amr.elbendary@cdws.travel Tel: 012 1115508
Ahmed Mansour: ahmed.mansour@cdws.travel Tel: 018 126 8686

Nabil Fadlallah: nabil@cdws.travel Tel: 012 338 7779

Pictures of sharks taken should by sent by email to: sinai.tec@cdws.travel. For videos, please copy these on to a disc and take this directly to the CDWS office in Hadaba.

Three world renowned shark experts have arrived in Sharm el Sheikh and are currently working with the CDWS. These experts are: Dr Marie Levine, head of the Shark Research Institute in Princeton, USA; Dr George H Burgess, the director of the Florida Program and curator of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History for Shark Research; and Dr Ralph Collier, of the Shark Research Committee and author of Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century. Shark behavioural expert Dr Erich Ritter is assisting from his research centre based in the USA.

They have already begun to work together to analyse all the data collected. Further updates on the situation will be provided as soon as available.

CDWS would like to assure all members that the organisation is working continuously with all the relevant authorities and shark experts to try to resolve this situation in the most appropriate and safe way for all concerned. The CDWS also stresses to all members and the public that it does not in any way condone the random killing of sharks.

For further information please contact Laura Coppa by email laura.coppa@cdws.travel or Mary Gleeson mary.gleeson@cdws.travel

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December 7th 2010
New Year’s Eve Special Thistlegorm dive trip

Posted under Diving & Fun & Red Sea

It is a fantastic experience to do a night dive on Thistlegorm.

Doing it on New Year’s Eve must be something very special.

More information about the trip can be found here.


The above photos were taken during my summer holiday in Sharm 2010.

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December 6th 2010
Finally some professional information regarding the Sharks in Sharm el Sheikh

Posted under Red Sea

A Danish newspaper posted an interesting article about the situation in Sharm.

Here is the english translation: English Translation

And here is the original in danish: Danish Article

Jesper Kjøller who was interviewed, is a Padi Course director and DIR diver with many thousands of dives in the Red Sea.

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December 6th 2010
Diving possible tomorrow in Sharm el Sheikh

Posted under Red Sea

Here is the newest press release about diving in Sharm el Sheikh:

CDWS shark incident update: diving possible tomorrow in Sharm el Sheikh

6 December 2010 14:00

The majority of areas in Sharm el Sheikh will be open to diving activities for CDWS members and their clients tomorrow (7 December), however, please note a series of restrictions apply on where these can take place and on client experience. All snorkel activities and other watersports – with the exception of glass bottom boat operations – remain suspended in the whole of the Sharm el Sheikh coastal area.

Qualified diving clients, who must have a minimum of 50 logged dives, are permitted to participate in scuba activities run by CDWS members in the areas of Tiran and all sites south of Naama Bay. Diving remains completely banned at this time in the area between Ras Nasrani to the north of Naama Bay where the Ras Mohammed National Park teams are currently working.

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.

Following discussions with sharks experts and a series of exploratory dives, it was decided that the areas to be opened, which include the Ras Mohammed National Park and popular sites such as the Thistlegorm, were safe for experienced diving activities. CDWS would like to make it clear that no divers have been involved in any of the incidents reported.

CDWS is working with four world-renowned shark experts at this time. Three of the experts will be arriving over the next two days in Sharm el Sheikh to form an advisory team to try to assess and advise on the best course of action following the four shark attacks in areas north of Naama Bay this week.

Dr George H Burgess, the director of the Florida Program and curator of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History for Shark Research, is flying to the resort today. Arriving tomorrow are: Dr Marie Levine, head of the Shark Research Institute in Princeton, USA, and Dr Ralph Collier, of the Shark Research Committee and author of Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century. Shark behavioural expert Dr Erich Ritter is assisting from his research centre based in the USA. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) is funding all the costs involved.

A Swedish research vessel is currently surveying the topography of the ocean around Sharm el Sheikh in order to supply data to shark experts to assist their work. CDWS enlisted the help of this vessel to carry out the topography survey and secured all the relevant permissions.

CDWS would like to assure all members that the organisation is working continuously with all the relevant authorities and shark experts to try to resolve this situation in the most appropriate and safe way for all concerned. The CDWS also stresses to all members and the public that it does not in any way condone the random killing of sharks.

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