SHARM EL-SHARK:A ROGUE shark or sharks, which have already killed one tourist and injured four others, have closed the beaches in the popular Egyptian winter sun destination of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The attacks have been blamed on the Oceanic Whitetip, which are native to the Red Sea, rather than the Great White shark which was the one that inspired Jaws.
In an echo of the famous Jaws 2catchline "just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water", a 70-year-old German tourist was attacked and killed by a shark on Sunday while snorkling just 20 metres from the beach in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The attack came a day after Egyptian officials declared the beach to be safe following four successive attacks by a shark or sharks in the preceding week on Russian and Ukrainian tourists.
Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the most popular destinations for winter sun among Irish holidaymakers. The shark attacks have had a devastating effect on business coming up to Christmas which is the busiest time of the year in the resort.
The Egyptian authorities have called in world experts as there is no agreement on whether the attacks are the actions of one shark or several.
Some experts believe the attacks are the result of overfishing in the sharks’ natural habitat causing them to come in closer to the shore for food.
