Diving with Sharks

The Egyptian Red Sea offers great opportunities to meet sharks underwater, especially when diving the offshore islands and reef walls. The majority of sharks will avoid close encounters with humans in the water, they are careful, shy and easily intimidated by our presence. The best case scenario with these species is that they tolerate us in their vicinity, which generally only happens with divers that stay very calm and quiet.

In certain situations, or with certain species such as oceanic whitetip sharks and silky sharks, close approaches might occur and are something that divers should be prepared for.

Close interactions of divers with oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus; images 1, 3, 5 & 6 from the left) and silky sharks (C. falciformis, images 2 & 4 from the left) in the Egyptian Red Sea. [© Elke Bojanowski, exceptions: image 1: Mark Blatt, image 6: Robert Wilpernig]

Remember, you are entering the realm of highly evolved and perfectly adapted open-ocean predators, who should be treated with respect and caution. And while the risks in diving with sharks are minimal, following certain behavioural rules helps to avoid potentially stressful or even dangerous situations.

Feeding sharks is illegal across the Egyptian Red Sea! Do not enter the water if there is any sign of feeding activity around the boat.
Insist on being properly briefed before a potential encounter.
Only enter the water if you are comfortable with the situation and confident that you can stay calm.
Avoid any quick, jerky or erratic movements.
Be aware that you are most vulnerable on the surface. So descend promptly after entering the water and watch your buoyancy throughout the dive.
Try to avoid quick ascents, especially with a shark right below you.
If you want (or need) to leave the water, do so in a calm and orderly fashion.
Most shark species that are inquisitive enough for close approaches are found in open water, not along the reef. Staying next or retreating to the reef should help avoid a close encounter. If conditions allow it, surface next to the reef and wait to be picked up by zodiac.
Do not try to touch or in any way harass any shark. This includes not closing off an escape route for sharks you find underneath overhangs, in caves or crevices in the reef wall.
Do not be alarmed by a shark calmly circling you; just make sure you turn with it and keep it in sight
Stay alert and look around you from time to time to see if another shark is approaching you from behind/underneath/above. As predators, sneaking up on unknown objects is part of their natural behaviour.
Generally, sharks are more reluctant to closely approach groups of divers than single ones.

This text is referring to diving only. Snorkelling in the Marine Parks, in St. Johns, and around reefs where oceanic whitetip sharks or silky sharks might be present, is forbidden until further notice following the unfortunate death of a french snorkeler on the St. Johns plateau in June 2009.