Related: Tourist killed in shark attack at Egypt's Marsa Alam Red Sea resort
The government's order to close the beach and ban swimming at Marsa Alam after a deadly shark attack on Sunday has dampened the mood among visitors to the Egyptian Red Sea resort ahead of the New Year celebrations.
A 48-year-old Italian tourist died and a compatriot, 69, was injured after being attacked while swimming just offshore but outside the designated safe area. The Environment Ministry placed the town's shoreline off limits until Wednesday and formed a committee to investigate the incident.
The attack caused a panic along the shore, said Aya Gad, 29, an Egyptian tourist.
“As I made my way back to my hotel, you could see all the beaches emptying. It was really striking, everyone was running out of the water and taking their belongings,” Mr Gad said. “There was a great deal of panic. When I returned to the hotel, there was a crowd in the lobby enquiring about the incident. It was all anyone could talk about at dinner as well.”
Marsa Alam, one of Egypt's most remote beach destinations, typically sees an influx of tourists around New Year's Eve, with visitors seeking to escape the cold weather in other parts of the country. It is also a popular destination for diving enthusiasts from around the world, particularly during the Christmas break.
The attack prompted some tourists to leave, according to a tour operator in the town who asked not to be identified.
“You can't imagine the number of concerned calls I received from our tour groups. All these tourists had come down to spend the holidays in the water. After beach access was banned, some of them decided to stay and have been understanding. But some demanded refunds and made plans to go to resorts in Sinai instead.”
However, diving centres have not cancelled their scheduled trips, according to another tour operator who explained that “diving instructors feel sure enough that the spots they have chosen for trips are safe from sharks”.
He said the loss from refunding pre-booked diving trips, which would be significant and in much-coveted foreign currency, was the main motivation behind allowing diving trips to continue.
“We thought all boat trips were cancelled until we saw several groups of divers going out on various boats from our hotel marina this morning. The boats were small and were venturing deep into the sea,” said Nick Mehling, 33, an American tourist.
“When we asked at reception after seeing the divers, we were told that swimming was still banned but that diving was OK,” he said.
“Many, like my group, have opted out of going in the water altogether just to be safe.”
The waters around Marsa Alam are known for frequent sightings of sharks, with their size and number increasing as one moves further south towards the Egypt-Sudan border. Diving with sharks is a popular activity for visitors to the town, drawn by the thrill of encountering these powerful predators in their natural habitat.
The tour operator said that the water around Berenice Troglyditica, an ancient seaport 140km south of Marsa Alam, is typically avoided by tour operators due to the “ferocity and size of the sharks in that area”.
Shark attacks, though rare, continue to be a safety concern for Red Sea tourists.
The victim of Sunday's attack was identified as Rome native Gianluca di Gioia by Italian news outlets, quoting Italian foreign ministry sources.
In June last year, a Russian man was killed by a shark near Hurghada, in an attack that received widespread attention because it was filmed and the footage shared online. A few months later, an Egyptian woman was bitten on the arm.
In 2022, two women were killed in separate shark attacks near Hurghada, while in 2020, a Ukrainian boy lost an arm and an Egyptian tour guide lost a leg in a shark attack. In 2018, a Czech tourist was killed by a shark off a Red Sea beach.
Marsa Alam has been the site of several incidents in recent years, with five boat accidents and one oil spill off its coast this year alone.
The treacherous nature of the coast has been attributed to a combination of factors, including strong currents, hidden reefs, and inadequate safety measures.
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
