Red sea sharks attack people. Did a shark attack a person in Egypt? Cases of shark attacks in Egypt. Which sharks are deadly to humans?

Red Sea- transparent, crystal clear - elemental. The sea is quiet and deep, joyfully calling and quietly whispering tells the old oriental tales. The sea, I am in the transparent emerald-colored depths, the sun refracts its rays on the foamy spray, the sea is in me and I am inside the sea. An endless expanse of water, and down there in the depths there is an amazingly beautiful underwater world, living its own unsolved life, attracting millions of people seeking to know the unknown. Among them there are harmless and aggressive, fearful and poisonous. So who are these dangerous inhabitants? red sea? Today we'll talk about them. Let's start with the most harmless ones:

10. Corals They are brightly colored and you just want to touch them, but there is a special reticulated fire coral (Millepora dichotoma) that, although it looks like coral, is not one. Fire corals are hydroid species or polyjellyfish that form large colonies on reefs in tropical waters, where there is a strong current and a lot of light. They grow very quickly and look like flat bushes with short double branches. Millepores look very picturesque. Bright yellow or brown colors, nice roundness at the end of the branch. You just want to break off a piece as a souvenir, but it is there that the stinging cells (nematocytes) are located, with which the fire coral burns. The burn site does not heal for a long time and brings a lot of discomfort to its owner. It swells, a blister appears and the lymph nodes become very enlarged. It is better to wash such a wound immediately sea ​​water, removing all remnants of coral and treating with vinegar or alcohol, and if necessary, consult a doctor. It is also worth paying attention to sea ​​sponges. Sponges– although these multicellular creatures are primitive, some species, such as Redbeards and Fire Sponges, can cause allergic reactions in humans in the form of a rash. Providing assistance is the same as for a coral burn.

9. Starfish, colorful and so harmless, always attract the interest of divers. Among these species, only one species, “Crown of Thorns” (Acanthaster planci), can actually harm humans. The color scheme of these not small creatures (their length is from 25 to 35 cm, although there are particularly large specimens with a diameter of up to 50 cm) can be very different from gray-blue to brown, from bright orange to poisonous yellow. Typically, the “Crown of Thorns” has 12–19 rays, and with age their number can increase to 23. The entire body of the star is covered with long poisonous needles up to 3 cm long. The injection can be quite painful and may cause swelling, rash, nausea and bleeding. The first thing to do is to immerse the limb in hot water and apply a bandage to prevent further spread of the poison, then see a doctor.

8 Sea urchins. They look like prickly balls that pierce any neoprene. If you come across a sea urchin, you will experience burning pain, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat at the injection site. First aid, as with an injection starfish: remove needles, disinfect, keep in hot water and apply a tourniquet, go to the doctor.

7. Clearfin Lionfish belongs to the scorpionfish family (Scorpaenidae) - a majestic and leisurely fish. There are many species of this family, and you can often find fish underwater - the zebra (Common Lionfish) and the Russells Lionfish. These are night hunters who hunt down small fish like a pack of wolves. And they love to swim on the edge of light and shadow. Their bodies are painted with bright stripes, and their luxurious fins hide sharp, poisonous spines. The injections of these insidious creatures cause severe pain, up to anaphylactic shock. A person may experience cramps and rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, numbness, dizziness, diarrhea, and excessive sweating. Some experts claim that lionfish venom is not inferior to cobra venom, although not a single death has been recorded from this creature in official medicine! In any case, it is better to stay away from all representatives of the scorpion family and carefully watch your step.

6. Sea snakes- the name alone is already chilling, and although the venom of sea reptiles is 10 times stronger than its land relative - the cobra, it acts on the human body very slowly. Do not think that sea snakes rush at people at the first opportunity. In fact, they rarely attack them and in most cases they try to swim away from annoying divers. However, if you like to dive in dense underwater thickets, then you may simply not notice the snake there. Only a few hours after the bite may muscle spasms and drooping of the eyelids begin. Apply a tourniquet above the bite site and consult a doctor as soon as possible.

5. Gray reef shark(and you thought we forgot about it?) is the most common type of reef shark in the Red Sea. Usually the gray reef shark lives at depths of up to 270-280 meters. She loves clean water with a strong current. Often lives on the leeward side of the reef. The gray reef shark has an average size of 1.5 to 2.5 meters. The gray reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) is a curious creature, but unless provoked, it is unlikely to attack. It is easy to anger a shark during the mating season, when it may consider you a competitor. Sharks also do not like camera flashes. The shark expresses its aggression quite clearly; it arches its back, raises its muzzle and lowers its pectoral fins. In this case, you should not hesitate; it is better to leave its territory without fuss, swimming away facing the shark. If it continues to swim towards you, try to dodge to the side when approaching. And although a person is quite a big prey for her, she can cause serious wounds.

You need to provide first aid to the victim slowly, clean the wound, but be careful, the person may experience a painful shock and your actions will cause an even stronger reaction from the victim. The wound may bleed heavily, so it is necessary to stop the bleeding before a doctor appears. To do this, you must use the direct pressure method. A pressure bandage or tourniquet is best. No less effective way It will happen if you simply wrap the limbs in a circular tug. Of course, in an emergency you may not have a tourniquet at hand, but this is exactly what happens in 99% of cases; you can use any available material. This could be a rubber tube, scarf, belt, rope, etc.

After you have tried to stop the bleeding, the wound must be treated. This should be a solution of iodine, potassium permanganate, alcohol, vodka, cologne. If you have a cotton swab or gauze, wet them with one of the solutions and treat the edges of the wound from the outside.

There is no need to pour anything into the wound itself. This will not only increase the already severe pain, but will also damage the tissue, slowing down the healing process. If you were wounded in the stomach, you cannot eat or drink anything. After treatment, a bandage is applied to the abdomen.

4. Moray eels- belong to the eel-shaped ray-finned fish and are always shrouded in secrets and legends. Either creepy appearance moray eels or their secrecy encourage our creative consciousness to hang all sorts of evil labels on them. In fact, moray eels are shy and hide in the crevices of reefs. The Red Sea is home to quite a few species of moray eels, for example: Giant moray, Yellowheaded morey, Yellowmouth morey, Undulate morey, Dragon morey, Zebra moray (Zebra morey), White-eyed morey, Peppered morey, Honeycomb morey, Yellow-edged morey, etc. Unfortunately, in Lately Instances have become more frequent when, in order to attract clients, local diving clubs offer divers to hand-feed moray eels. For everyone who values ​​their hands, remember that moray eels see poorly, but they sense meat perfectly and they don’t care whether it’s a piece of food or a diver’s fingers. A hundred people will feed her and everything will be fine, but 101 will pay for everyone. This is not a pet. Moray eels are smart predators and if something gets into their mouth, they practically do not unclench their jaws, digging into their prey with a bulldog grip. If they help you get rid of her grip, urgently disinfect the wound and go to the doctor to treat the wound and head.

We've reached the top three. Let's find out more about them!

3. Stingrays belong to the class of chordates - Elasmobranchii - Cartilaginous fish.

Electric rays (Torpediniformes) range in size from small – 12-15 cm long, to large – up to 2 m long and weighing up to 100 kg. Unlike other stingrays, electric ramps often brightly colored. On the sides of the head there are paired electrical organs formed by modified muscle tissue. Animal electricity is condensed in the electrical organs. The discharge is carried out arbitrarily under the influence of brain impulses. Singles lasts 0.003-0.05 s, but usually the stingray produces a series of 20-30 discharges in quick succession. The discharge voltage can reach from 60 to 300 volts with a current of up to 5 amperes. Such a shake causes paralytic shock, severe pain, swelling, and muscle cramps. The victim of an electric stingray strike must be pulled out of the water, placed in the shade and given peace. Another representative of this species that is dangerous to humans is the stingray (Dasyatidae) which has a wide disc, a powerful tail at the base and a thinning tail at the end. In the middle part of the tail, these creatures have dagger-shaped spines that can grow up to 37 cm long. The tail strike is similar to the attack of a scorpion - the tail bends forward and the stingray delivers a powerful blow with a whip-like movement. The poison, penetrating the wound, causes sharp pain, a drop in blood pressure, tachycardia, vomiting, and paralysis. A thorn that gets into the wound should only be removed surgically, because often it breaks off in the wound and can cause a secondary fungal, bacterial or mixed infection. After the injection, the wound must be cleaned, disinfected, the damaged part of the body should be kept in very hot water (at least 50 C), and then a pressure bandage should be applied and urgently consult a doctor.

2. Cones. Cone clams, the shells from which we listen to the sound of the sea and enjoy memories of vacation, may not be so safe. Nautical gastropod hides in its beautiful mother-of-pearl shell and, in case of danger, releases its spine forward, located at the edge of the shell. Their habitat is quite large, including the western part of the Indo-Pacific region, which includes the Red Sea. All cones are predators and feed on snails, sea worms and even fish. These latter ones are the most dangerous for people. Despite poor vision, the cone has very developed olfactory organs. Burying itself in the sand, it waits for the victim, sensing the approach of prey, and plunges its proboscis into it, in which there are many small teeth - harpoons. Instantly injects toxic poison and paralyzes its victim. The cones have a special poison, which includes 50 different types toxins and has no antidote. The most dangerous of them is the Geographical cone (Conus geographus), which leads night look life. According to statistics, out of 10 bites, three are fatal. The bite causes severe, increasing pain, convulsions, profuse salivation, difficulty swallowing, gastrointestinal upset, and difficulty speaking. The victim must be urgently hospitalized, and before that, examine the wound, remove the remains of the thorn, treat with alcohol and immobilize the affected part of the body, apply a pressure bandage.

1. The leader of our TOP 10 “The most dangerous inhabitants of the Red Sea”, is…

Stonefish or wartfish(Red Sea Walkman - “Red Sea Pedestrian”) - master of camouflage. Buried in the sand, she can lie motionless on the bottom for hours. She merges with the environment that it is practically impossible to notice it, and it is precisely this camouflage that makes it the winner of our rating “The most dangerous inhabitants of the Red Sea.” Its back can be deadly to humans, because it has a number of spines that release poison. The pain from the injection is so severe that the person wants to cut off his wounded limbs. If the poison enters the vessel, then without rendering medical care, death occurs within 2-3 hours. The main symptoms are pain, shock and death of the limbs, depending on the depth of penetration. Injured people may continue to experience unpleasant symptoms for a long time. By the way, the English name for wart is “pedestrian”. When she gets tired of lying on the bottom, she uses rays pectoral fins for “walking” along the seabed and often leaves noticeable grooves in the sand behind it. When injecting any representatives of scorpionfish, the wound must be washed, disinfected, to neutralize the poison, hold the damaged part of the body in very hot water for half an hour and apply a pressure bandage. After first aid, consult a doctor immediately.

He who is forewarned is forearmed! Your safety is in your hands:

1. Wear special shoes. Neoprene slippers have an affordable price, but they can give you much more - the safety of your feet. But even wearing them, you shouldn’t walk in shallow water on the outside of the reef. Some needles sea ​​creatures very long and can accidentally touch an unprotected part of the body.

2. Do not splash around in puddles during low tide; some types of fish, such as stingrays, can bury themselves in wet sand and wait for the tide.

3. Divers are prohibited from swimming alone, but some daredevils still break the rules. While diving, do not feed the fish or attract their attention with fresh blood. If you cut yourself somewhere or have wounds that may bleed, it is better not to take risks and not swim in the water. If the fish behaves aggressively in the event of an attack, hit it on the head or snout - these are the most vulnerable places; if it feels resistance, it can swim away on its own.

4. Removing any needle spikes from wounds must be done very carefully so that they do not break or crumble further. Take a soft rag or some kind of napkin and carefully remove the foreign object. Even if you were not able to remove everything, limestone needles or thorns dissolve in our body over time and come out of it without consequences. The main thing in such cases is to thoroughly disinfect the wound so that infection does not start.

5. It would be nice to be able to do artificial respiration and know the basics of first aid for bites, cuts, etc.

6. Be sure to take a first aid kit with you, which should contain ointments such as tetracycline, erythromycin, as well as iodine and brilliant green. IN Arab countries names of medications are written on Arabic and it’s not a fact that they speak English at the pharmacy.

7. Those who like to swim with a mask and snorkel should not swim into unfamiliar areas; it is better to wear short swimming trunks and a special thin neoprene T-shirt (1 - 1.5 mm will be enough) for protection from sunlight and accidental contact with poisonous inhabitants Red Sea, choose reefs for swimming so that the depth is at least 2 meters, do not feed, do not pet the fish, do not kiss the fish for selfies, do not break, do not unscrew, do not even touch the corals and if anything happens to you unexpected troubles, stay calm and seek help.

Undersea world red sea beautiful and everything in nature is harmonious. A person discovers water element to contemplate, enjoy and explore the unknown. Don't kiss moray eels or feed sharks - they're not pets. We are just guests in this world, and we will be polite and reasonable, and then we will not be afraid of any poisonous creatures. Even dives to everyone.

“A shark ate a woman!”, “Attack of toothy predators on Egypt!”- Russian airwaves were filled with such news at the end of 2010. Five years later, the passions subsided, but another tragedy off the coast of Hurghada again shocked our compatriots. Russians still go to Africa. Some flippantly close their eyes, believing in “their own star,” while others promise themselves to be careful.

Is it possible today not to be afraid of attacks from bloodthirsty cannibals, what measures are the Egyptians taking to prevent shark attacks - this is what our story is about.

flickr.com/michaelaston

History of all attacks

In one week in 2010, the Red Sea in the Sharm el-Sheikh area became truly red with the blood of the affected people.

November 30th. A forty-eight-year-old Moscow resident opened a list of victims. Just 2 hours later, the predator met 70-year-old Lyudmila Stolyarova.

December 1. Evgeny Trishkin, Victoria and Viktor Koliy encountered mortal danger face to face.

Egyptian authorities have closed beaches in Sharm el-Sheikh. But after 3 days a message appeared that the shark had been caught. The resort has returned to its former life. Carefree vacationers boldly rushed into the depths of the sea.

flickr.com/chrisgold

5th of December. An elderly German woman was attacked by a toothy creature right near the shore. The woman did not suffer severe blood loss.

22.03. 2017 In the El Kawther area of ​​Hurghada, a giant cannibal attacked and bit off a leg to a German tourist. They were able to pull the man ashore, but he died from injuries and blood loss.

Viktor Koliy (fourth on the list of victims):

“The day before departure, our whole family swam in the sea, at the border where the reef ended and the depth began. We did not hear that sharks had attacked a person in this area the day before, although we watched the news. I put on my mask and saw something big and gray at the bottom. The fish swam up to my leg and I hit it. Then he raised his head and shouted to his wife and son: “Shark! On beach!". At first she circled around me, and then headed towards my wife. I tried to jump on top of her and hit her again. I didn’t feel any bites myself, only strong tremors. He focused all his attention on the family - whether they could get to the beach. There were only 3 meters left to the shore when a terrible shadow appeared near his wife. The woman managed to notice her and literally jump onto land. My leg was bleeding, but these minor wounds were nothing compared to what could have happened. We were lucky, but the shock was huge.”

flickr.com/alexnormand

Courage or stupidity?

Paradox: Egypt's beaches, which should have been deserted after the tragedies, turned out to be crowded with thrill-seekers.

In 2000, Konstantin Gorokhov opened the first Russian diving center in Sharm. Here are his impressions of the influx of tourists after the attack on people by terrible predators in 2010:

“Such madness has never happened before! In Sharm, the change of tourists occurs quite quickly. Everyone comes for 5-6 days, after which they fly away with their stories. The newcomers were not enriched by impressions when someone was being devoured by a toothy creature before their eyes. Therefore, their attitude to the problem is very frivolous. A change in cold climate, quick holiday romances, an all-inclusive system that provides unlimited access to not the highest quality alcohol, changes consciousness immediately. The real danger seems like a horror story, invented specifically to enhance the local flavor.”

flickr.com/greyloch

In the event of a total ban on swimming, Egyptians not only post relevant notices on the shore, but also install black flags in dangerous coastal areas. Our tourists calmly step over all prohibitions. A week after the tragedy, the Russians boldly declared: “We’ll go swimming! We came to Sinai for the sea and saw a shark not far from the pontoon. We saw them and fed them a bun from the hotel restaurant!”

Victor (diving instructor):

“Tourists have fun feeding fish near the shore. They are poorly aware of the danger. In fact, a harmless picture later becomes a bloody picture: one grandmother throws some bread into the water, and another grandmother is eaten by a fish that was fed near these places.”

Did you know that sharks have an incredible sense of smell? Special experiments were carried out to prove this statement. Meat was slowly lowered into the pool at a distance of 100 m from the predators. After 1 second the piece was swallowed.

Anastasia:

“I witnessed a situation where a mother and daughter reached the buoys. Mom swims across the buoys, and her daughter stops her: “You can’t go there!” To which the adult woman replies: “It’s more interesting there, let’s see the fish.” It's OK!" and continues to swim into the depths. Children can be smarter and more careful than their parents.”

flickr.com/storm-crypt

Causes of tragedies. Experts' opinion

On the pedestal of territories favored by sharks, the Egyptian country occupies a modest ninth place. Over the last 100 s extra years the 2017 attack is only the eleventh such incident.

Some experts explain the aggression of sharks by a decrease in the food supply for predators: excessive industrial fishing forces animals to look for other food. Others admit the possibility of sabotage: the ship, heading to Jordan, had a cargo of live cattle on board. From time to time, dead livestock were thrown into the sea, and the toothy predators “flocked” for easy prey. Along with the version of the dumping of dead sheep, the possibility of natural complementary feeding was considered: one of the staff of hotel restaurants could have dumped the garbage right near the shore.

flickr.com/rn_topten

It has been noticed that predators attack divers less often than just a person swimming. Obviously, the marine inhabitants take a diver in a suit and equipment as one of their own or simply cannot stand the plume of carbon dioxide bubbles and avoid such prey. Hobbyists are more likely to suffer from sea killers.

flickr.com/matchew

Egyptian authorities are sounding the alarm

After a series of shark attacks on people in the Red Sea, a hunt for sea cannibals was announced in Egypt. It was then that a mako shark, atypical for the Red Sea, was caught, which was found here long years nobody has seen. Hundreds of species of sharks are found in the Red Sea, including about a dozen particularly aggressive ones. The longtip shark, which kept law-abiding Europeans at bay in 2010, is unique in that it can swim close to coastline up to one and a half meters. This means that her victim could be Small child, building Easter cakes in the surf, and a particularly careful tourist who does not risk going into the water above his waist.

Several groups of scientists were involved in the search for the culprit of the “Sinai commotion.” It was suggested that it was not a “serial cannibal maniac” operating in coastal waters, but several sharks. Russian scientists denied this version.

A. Kasumyan (professor-ichthyologist):

“Most likely, this is one individual. Fish quickly develop conditioned feeding habits, and once a shark has tasted human blood, it will try to repeat its experience.”

Concerned Egyptians caught several Jaws followers, but to no avail. No traces of bloody violence were found in the stomachs of the killed animals; they were not involved in the tragedies in Naama Bay.

It is impossible to predict the actions of sharks. Local authorities interested in the influx of tourists are trying to take precautions:

• feeding fish and dumping restaurant waste into the sea is prohibited;
• instructors on the beach are instructed to: monitor the coastal waters from towers;

flickr.com/captkodak

• In the water areas of many hotels, nets are installed, in which sometimes lost lovers of hunting are found.

Actions to take when encountering a shark

So, you saw a shark nearby. What should I do? Experienced divers advise simply praying. Another advice from scientists:

1. Keep a cool head (if possible).
2. Try to hit the shark in the face with a heavy object.
3. Press on the fish's eyes or grab the gills.

The bloody situation of 2010 ended unexpectedly. A tipsy tourist killed a shark by jumping from a pontoon into the water. To its sorrow, a hammerhead shark swam under the diving board and died from a concussion (according to experts). The man was taken to the hospital, but the doctors’ diagnosis was curious: minor bruises and severe alcohol intoxication.

Other dangers of the Red Sea

Diving into the waters of the Red Sea is always an event associated with risk. A large number of underwater inhabitants: sea ​​urchins, scorpion lionfish, poisoned corals, electric stingrays, stone fish - can greatly spoil your vacation. Therefore, knowledge about marine inhabitants, encounters with which are undesirable, is very useful. You need to know the enemy by sight!

Arriving in Egypt, tourists want to get the most out of their vacation. Some go first to inspect famous pyramids, others can’t wait to plunge into the bustle of the bright, colorful Egyptian market, while others put on a mask and rush to explore the beauty of the Red Sea. Of course, the most vivid impression will be getting to know the corals. One thing you shouldn’t forget is that corals are beautiful, but treacherous - how to admire them and stay healthy -.

And finally

Do not confuse the tropical sea with a swimming pool, where man is not the king of nature, but just banal food. You can relax on the Red Sea. But be careful!

Oct 30, 2015 Kate

The Red Sea, despite its rather modest size compared to many other seas, is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking seas in the world. Deserted and rather monotonous coastal landscapes stand in stark contrast to the breathtaking splendor underwater world. The Red Sea cannot leave anyone indifferent who has at least once dived into it, even with a simple mask.
Below are some of the most interesting inhabitants of the World Ocean - sharks.
Sharks (superorder Selachimorpha, or Selachii) are truly interesting and fascinating creatures of nature. There are more than 33 species of sharks in the Red Sea. Most of these types are presented below.

Pelagic fox shark(Alopias pelagicus). Other names: pelagic fox shark, pelagic sea ​​fox, smalltooth sea fox shark, smalltooth fox shark, smalltooth fox shark.

Common fox shark ( Alopias vulpinus). Other names: common fox shark, common fox shark, sea fox shark, fox shark, fox shark.

Hooktooth bigeye shark (Chaenogaleus macrostoma). Other names: Indian Ocean bigeye shark, Malayan bigeye shark.

Whitetip gray shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus). Other names: whitetip gray shark, whitetip shark, whitetip shark.

Bignose shark (Carcharhinus altimus).

Darktip gray shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos). Other names: darkfin gray shark, Indo-Pacific gray shark, gray reef shark.

Shortfin gray shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna). Other names: short-finned gray shark.

Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis). Other names: widemouth shark, Florida shark.

Blunt shark (Carcharhinus leucas). Other names: bull shark, gray bull shark, bull shark.

Blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus). Other names: blacktip gray shark, blacktip shark, blacktip gray shark.

Longtip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus). Other names: longtip gray shark, longfin shark, longfin gray shark.

Malagasy night shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus). Other names: Madagascar night shark, Malagasy night shark, blacktip reef shark, blacktip reef shark.

Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus). Other names: dusky shark, whitetip shark, whitetip shark, whitetip gray shark, dusky shark, dusky gray shark, dusky dog ​​shark, dusky dog ​​shark.

Sand shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus). Other names: sand gray shark, blue-gray shark, Mediterranean gray shark, Mediterranean shark.

Gray-brown shark (Carcharhinus sorrah). Other names: sawtooth reef shark, sawtooth gray shark, sawtooth gray-brown shark.

Common sand shark (Carcharias taurus). Other names: gray sand shark, Atlantic sand shark, European sand shark, European gray shark, Argentine sand shark, Argentine gray shark, Australian sand shark, Australian gray shark, Australian nurse shark.

Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier):

Indian gray shark (Hemipristis elongata).

Sevengill shark (Heptranchias perlo). Other names: ash sevengill shark, sevengill shark.

Omani Iago (Iago omanensis). Other names: big-eyed yago.

Short-finned mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus). Other names: shortfin mako shark, common mako shark, common mako, blacktip shark, blue-gray herring shark, blue-gray shark.

Rusty nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus). Other names: Indian nurse shark, nebriya shark, nebriya or nebriya.

Madagascar sharptooth shark (Negaprion acutidens). Other names: Malagasy sharptooth shark, Malagasy sharptooth shark.

Reef shark (Triaenodon obesus). Other names: common reef shark.

Snap-eyed gray shark (Loxodon macrorhinus).

Asian mustel shark (Mustelus manazo). Other names: Asian marten shark, Asian sea marten, Japanese marten shark, Japanese marten shark, Japanese sea marten.

Arabian mustel shark (Mustelus mosis). Other names: Arabian marten shark, Arabian sea marten, Arabian marten shark, Arabian marten shark, Arabian sea marten.

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus).

Sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus). Other names: milk shark, Walbema shark.

Bronze hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini). Other names: bronze hammerhead shark, bronze hammerhead fish, bronze hammerhead fish, southern hammerhead shark, southern hammerhead shark, southern hammerhead fish, southern hammerhead fish.

Great hammerhead shark(Sphyrna mokarran). Other names: giant hammerhead shark, giant hammerhead fish, giant hammerhead fish.

Common hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena). Other names: common hammerhead shark, common hammerhead shark, common hammerhead shark, hammerhead shark, hammerhead shark, hammerhead shark.

Zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum). Other names: zebra shark.

Are there people who haven't watched Steven Spielberg's famous thriller "Jaws"? I think there are very few such people. I have watched this exciting movie several times. :) I was attracted to this film because every time they showed a shark approaching a man, I thought: “Thank God it’s not me!” :)

Foreign holidays are becoming more and more popular every year in our country. And here there is some concern about whether there are sharks at these resorts. I'll tell you more about this. :)

Statistics

According to statistics, about 100 cases of shark attacks on humans are recorded every year. Moreover, these data come from relatively developed countries that keep records of cases of contact with sharks. On the contrary, African countries seem to experience a lot of attacks, but there are no services there to record all cases.

According to official data, greatest number attacks occur in Australia, South Africa and Brazil.

In which seas are sharks found?

Sharks live mainly in warm seas. Here's a small selection:

• Mediterranean Sea. This body of water has suitable habitat conditions for sharks. Thus, cases of shark attacks are periodically recorded in this sea. Over the past 100 years, 22 fatal cases have been recorded.
• Aegean, Adriatic and Ionian seas. I will write about them in one section, since they are all located in the Mediterranean Sea. From 2008 to 2011, a fair amount of terrible news about shark attacks was recorded in these seas. In the Adriatic Sea alone in 2011, there were 34 horrific cases of shark-human contact.

• Red sea. But this is relevant for residents of Russia. For example, I was in Egypt not so long ago, in Hurghada. This resort town is located on the shores of the Red Sea. As I splashed around happily in the water, I didn't even think about the possible presence of sharks. But according to statistics, approximately 30 species of these creatures live in this sea. And cases of attacks are periodically recorded.
• Black Sea. This is perhaps the safest place. The living conditions in this reservoir are not suitable for sharks, so you can safely go to the Black Sea resorts. :)

Until recently, red sea sharks were of little interest to tourists coming here, since over the last century only 5 attacks on humans have been recorded, three of which were on Israeli territory and 2 on the Egyptian side. The events of 2010, when a series of attacks on humans by sharks occurred off the coast of Sharm El Sheikh, returned interest in these “terrible” creatures. Many were even afraid to go on excursions to Sharm El Sheikh by sea, having watched enough news and TV shows.

As it later turned out, in the 2010 attacks there were no human participation, sharks in Sharm El Sheikh and other species do not consider humans as food, but attack only when they feel threatened or confuse us with prey, as often happens with surfers, underwater hunters who hang their prey on their belts. In the world, 90% of shark attacks on humans are provoked by people themselves.

In Egypt, the attacks were provoked by merchant sailors who, celebrating the festival of sacrifice, abandoned the remains of livestock into the waters of the Red Sea. Sharks have a strong sense of smell and move forward to meet their prey.

Due to thousands of creepy tales, horror films, such as Jaws, our fear of sharks has increased and gradually the word Shark has become synonymous with the word Danger. Oddly enough, there is even a disease - sharkophobia or shark syndrome; people afflicted with this disease are afraid of sharks even when swimming in a pool or lake.

Are they dangerous? red sea sharks actually for a person? Where can you meet Red Sea sharks, what do they look like? red sea sharks? How to behave when meeting sharks.

More than 30 species of sharks live in the Red Sea, the names of some sharks are not in Russian, this article will describe only the largest, most numerous and famous predators of the Red Sea.

The most common shark in the Red Sea Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus, blackfin/ blacktip reef shark),

The blacktip reef shark prefers shallow water, is very active, and never stands still. It likes to hunt at night, although during the day it often patrols the reef in search of food. It is considered not dangerous due to its small size, rarely reaching a length of more than 1.5-1.8 m. Also, the blacktip reef shark is quite timid and neat, however, there have been cases when it grabbed annoying divers by the fins and knees.

Red Sea sharks - Whitetip reef shark

The whitetip reef shark prefers shallow depths, although it has been encountered more than once at depths of up to 300 m, it is very active at night, and most often rests in the crevices of the reef during the day. Thanks to its long and sinuous body, it often drives prey into a crevice and then climbs in after it.

Red Sea Sharks - Gray Reef Shark

This shark is of course significantly larger than its predecessors and reaches a length of more than 2.6 meters; the gray shark is active at night and during the day it can even rest lying on the bottom. These sharks do not pose much of a threat to people; they only begin to behave aggressively if they are pestered. Not a single fatal case of gray shark attack has been recorded.

Red Sea sharks Great hammerhead shark

Among the largest sea ​​predators, sometimes reaches a length of more than 6.5 meters and weighs up to 500 kg, spends most of its time in the open sea, although sometimes it enters coral lagoons; one must be quite careful with this type of shark, as it is quite aggressive.

Naturally Whale shark's the most large sharks red sea