9+1 amazing sharks of the Red Sea

Over half of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and there is only one place that is not really paralleled by any other, and that is the Red Sea, hidden between vast land strips of scorching sand. Who would imagine that a prolific and vibrant marine life thrives beneath the surface of the sea, deep in the water, in this empire of deserts.

Eight countries share a border with the Red Sea (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Djibouti). The Red Sea stretches to 1,900 km and its width is 300 km at its widest point. The average depth is around 50 m but its deepest point lies at 3,039 m.

It is not surprising that tourists and divers, seeking to discover the deep blue, are drawn here like magnet by the magical marine life that the sea harbours underneath its surface. One of the most sought-after experiences divers crave is the chance to meet up with sharks.

While more than 400 shark species exist in the world, only a small fraction of them ever attack people, and even in those cases, they are mostly provoked or the animals feel threatened. The largest animal of the fish species, the whale shark, for example, is vegetarian, and eats planktons and algae, and is harmless to humans. Divers are able to freely swim around and among them.

Contrary to popular culture, sharks do not attack people, since humans are not part of their natural diet. Problems could start when they are being fed to attract them close to divers. When feeding, the shark’s brain flips into a different gear and it is all for grabs, human or not. They become aggressive and only focus on the feeding. If divers happen to be in their vicinity during this time, there is a good chance of getting bitten or even worse. Sharks can also become defensive and go on the attack if they feel threatened, if they are being harassed, if they become confused, or if their young ones are threatened, just to name a few instances. The moral of the story – respect the sharks’ habitat, you are the guest and as such, show respect and humility.

And now introducing 9+1 sharks that are most commonly found in the Red Sea

1. Leopard shark

Despite its name, it is a relatively calm predator. Its main food source are octopus, crabs, shell fish, crustaceans, and smaller fish. It does not attack people, if anything, avoids contact with humans because its fiercest hunters, aside from larger shark species, are fishermen. The female tends to be more active, the male is more reserved, and more skittish. It does not need to swim constantly for survival, so it often rests at the sea bottom. It grows to an average length of 1.2 – 1.5 m but it can also reach 2.1 m in some cases. The intricate motifs on its skin is quite different from the usual grey colour of shark skin. If you want a chance encounter with them, they can be found mostly in the North and the Tiran regions in Egypt.

2. Whale shark

It is the world’s largest fish specie. It can reach up to 12 m in length on average, but much larger specimens are not unusual either. It can choose from a wide array of foods but it is partial to plankton. It poses no danger to humans. An alarming fact is that the sizes of caught specimens have been decreasing in recent years, which indicates over-fishing and as a result, the specie has now been categorised as endangered. The mating and reproduction process of the whale shark is quite a mystery as females and males live in separate communities. According to scientists, it is ovoviviparous and gives birth to live pups though the young ones have rarely been observed. It can be found by open-water reefs in plankton-rich waters.

3. Thresher shark

The thresher shark belongs to the group of large-bodied sharks, yet it is quite timid in nature. The size of adult male and female sharks are pretty much the same. The average length of the adult male is around 2.6 – 3.3 m, while the adult female’s is around 2.7 – 3.6 m. The longest known specimen reached 3.95 m. The thresher shark’s unique characteristic is its proportionately long tail fin which can often grow as long as the body of the shark itself. It is an ovoviviparous specie, giving birth to live pups. Intra-uterine cannibalism, or ovophagy, is also representative of this shark specie. The young fish hatch while still inside the mother and start feeding on the unfertilised eggs. This results in a small litter, usually only 2 – 4 pups that are well developed, reaching 0.9 – 1.4 m in length. Of the reefs in the Egyptian Red Sea, it can be observed at the Brother Islands, especially at Small Brother.

4. Silky shark

The silky shark can be found in all tropical and warm-climate waters around the world. If you want to meet up with them in the Red Sea, head down to Sudan, and to the southern region of the Red Sea. It is very inquisitive and it often approaches visitors. It grows in length to about 2.5 m but it can be as large as 3.5 m as well. The heaviest specimen every caught weighed 346 kg. It has a robust, long body which ends in a rounded nose. This shark got its name from the smooth and silky texture of its skin. It prefers the open waters and depths of up to 500 m but it can swim as deep as 4,000 m. The life expectancy of a silky shark is about 25 years.

5. Oceanic white-tip shark

It is a good friend of divers. It is not aggressive at all and tends to approach divers up close. It prefers the open waters and can be seen at Elphinstone, Daedalus, the Brothers in Egypt, and by the southern reefs in the Red Sea. It is about 1.5 m long, or even larger than 2 m, and weighs close to 20 kg. The white-tip shark can be easily identified by its white-tipped round fins.

6. Grey reef shark

Tropical waters are the usual home for this shark but you may very well run into it in the Red Sea as well, especially around Sanganeb and Shaab Rumi in Sudan. Its habitat is close to the coral reefs, and this is where it hunts for its prey. It tends to live near the drop-offs of outer-edge reefs and prefers moderately deep waters, usually between 20 – 60 m, though they have been found as deep as 1,000 m too. In the west it can be found between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean’s East African shores, and in the east all the way to Polynesia. It must remain in constant motion. If it stops moving, it sinks and dies. When taking a breather, they float and relax in currents.

7. Scalloped hammerhead shark

This shark’s unique feature is it hammer-shaped head. The width of the head, depending on the species, is about 20 – 30% of the animal’s entire length. The eyes are placed at the far ends of the head, and provide a 360-degree vision and excellent depth perception. A transparent membrane or eyelid protects the eyes during hunting and feeding. It usually cruises in deeper waters and in large schools, often counting up to 100 individuals. Its main food supplies are smaller sharks (even small hammerheads at times), manta rays, bony fish, and cephalopods. Females give birth to live young ones, and fertilisation happens internally. There are usually 15 – 30 pups in one litter, and the little scalloped hammerhead sharks can be as long as 43 – 55 cm.

8. Tiger shark

The tiger shark grows to a length of about 3 – 6 m but can be as large as 9 m. It weighs around 1 tonne. It is a solitary and nomadic animal, spending most of its life roaming from place to place. It is quite inquisitive and as such, it likes to “taste” everything, just like the great white. Its massive built and the unique patterns on its skin make it easy to identify. It is considered to be the second most dangerous animal to humans after the great white. In Egypt, it can be found cruising near Safaga and Elphinstone.

9. White-tip reef shark

It is one of the most often sighted sharks by divers. You can meet up with them pretty much at any coral reef. It rests in the caves and larger crevices near the reefs during the day, often in groups. It comes out of hiding during the night to go on a hunt for reef fish, octopus, crayfish, and crabs hiding among the corals. The white-tip reef shark often hunts in large groups. It sniffs out its prey, approaches it, and if necessary, breaks away the corals to get to it. It got its name from the white spots on the edges of its fins.

+1. Guitarfish

The guitarfish, or shark ray, is a peculiar creature, a mix between a shark and a manta ray. The average size of this cartilaginous fish is 1.5 – 1.8 m. The largest specimen every caught was 3 m long and weighed 135 kg. It has a wide, flat head and a rounded snout. Two sharp dorsal fins rise out of its body, while the pectoral fins are large and wide. Its habitat is near the coral reefs of tropical waters, in depths of 3 – 90 m. It is mostly a bottom dweller, preferring sandy and muddy bottoms, and its diet usually consists of crabs and shell fish. On the northern routes of our tours in Egypt you will find it on the sandy sea bottom.

And finally, here are 10 typical misconceptions about sharks (source: Wikipedia)

“All sharks are dangerous.” Of the 370 known shark species, about 80% is physically incapable of harming humans, or rarely ever meets them. The whale shark, largest in size, growing to a length of 15 m, for example, feeds mostly on planktons, and is completely harmless to humans.

“Sharks are voracious eaters, they must constantly feed.” As all animals, sharks must also eat periodically, as their metabolism dictates. Humans are not their main source of food. They feed on other fish, shell fish, and fatty animals like seals.

“Most shark attacks are fatal.” In reality, about 85% of people attacked by sharks, actually survive the attack. Most large-bodied sharks initially only bite their prey to prevent it from moving and will try to actually eat it later on. This means that most potential victims do have a chance to get away and to survive the attack. The groups who are most often targeted by sharks are surfers (49%), swimmers, bathers (29%), scuba divers (15%), and paddlers (6%). These encounters are more out of curiosity than for feeding purposes.

“Lots of people are killed by sharks.” The chance of being attacked by sharks is very minute compared to other rare ways of being killed like by lightening or from dog bites. On average, 5 – 15 people die worldwide as a result of shark attacks. And at the same time, humans kill close to 100 million sharks every year, in large due to commercial fishing that sharks often fall victim to. Compared to other fish species, the reproduction speed and the growth of sharks is quite slow, and as a result, many shark species are already among the endangered species or are very much on their way to join this un-coveted list.

“Great white sharks can often be found near beaches.” Great whites are a relatively rare sight as they prefer deeper and colder waters. It is unusual to spot them by the beaches. This myth can be attributed to Hollywood and the false depiction of these animals (i.e. from the movie Jaws) because of their frightening look.

“There are no sharks is fresh waters.” A special osmotic system makes it possible for some species like bull sharks, for example, to tolerate a wide range of salinity. These species are able to swim up rivers and into lakes.

“Sharks must continuously swim.” Actually, there are several species of sharks that are able to stop moving and rest on the sea bottom. Opening and closing their mouth enables them to take on sufficient amount of oxygen. Sharks are relatively slow swimmers in general, reaching cruising speeds of about 9 km/h however they can rev it up to about 37 km/h as well.

“Sharks have poor eye sight.” The underwater vision of sharks is about 10 times better than of humans. Sharks can also see colours.

“Eating shark meat makes you more aggressive.” There is no scientific proof to confirm this. Unfortunately to many, shark meat is very appetising due to its mild taste, low fat content, and white and firm flesh.

“Nobody wants to be in waters full of sharks.” Suspicion and fear is often replaced by curiosity in people towards an advanced predator that has existed for millions of years and whose role in maintaining the balance in the oceans’ ecosystem is vital. There are many places around the world that offer a glimpse into the lives of these amazing creatures up close, within a safe and protected environment (i.e. cage diving).

Photos by Daniel Selmeczi
Photo of thresher shark by Martin Strimiska

FAMILY DIVING TOURS ARE THE HIT OF THE SUMMER! READ ON TO FIND OUT WHY! (2019 appointments)

Most of us started diving in our 20s, and we were mesmerised by the sea. We were voracious students, taking in all the sites, and we could hardly wait for the next time we would go diving. And once we were there again, we just wanted to get as many dives in as humanly possible. We were looking for challenges, and we were up to even more complex dives, in the hope of encounters with larger fish.

Since then, 10, 20, 30 years have passed, and most of us now have families. Spouses, partners, children. And this has changed the dynamics of the good old diving blowouts, which we began to seek out less and less frequently. Either because our partners were not divers, or because now we had families, and smaller children.

So, we have come up with a different concept – a diving liveaboard tour for families. If Mom does not dive, Dad can still dive and enjoy his time under the water, while Mom can enjoy herself along with the children. The twist is that the boat does not sail on after each dive, as she usually does on a regular diving tour, but stays put for a couple of days at various sites. This way there is hardly any sailing time during the week-long holiday. No need to worry about the children bouncing and falling all over the place because of the waves because well, there will be hardly any. And another positive thing – no seasickness.

The boat is moored next to an island or in a protected bay, and the fun can begin. Jumping into the water, snorkelling, racing to the shore with zodiacs. The uninhabited islands boast beautiful white sandy beaches with plenty of room to run around in nature at its most pristine. No crowded beaches, just serene, natural surroundings, and of course, the turquoise sea to play in.

Experience shows that this form of contact and time spent together is very beneficial to parent-child relationships. It is useful, meaningful, enjoyable, healthy, and not boring in the least. It is quite a rush for parents to watch their children become one with nature.

And while all this bonding with nature is going on, Dad (or Mom) can go diving, even up to 3-4 times a day. Since the boat will be staying at one place for a day or two, the dive sites may not be as varied as on a regular diving trip but we are talking about the Red Sea here, and everybody who is familiar with Gubal Island and the Strait of Gubal in Egypt, for example, knows that it is entirely possible to do even 5-6 different dives at the same site, in the interior and exterior areas. But it is conceivable that after a couple of dives, Dad would also like to join the fun, and go snorkelling with the children, talking to them about the corals and fish, in their natural habitat – the sea.

We have been organising these summer trips for years now, and the demand keeps increasing, since our family lives and relationships are also changing. We have reached a point in our lives when we do not want to go diving on our own anymore, we would like our families to become part of this pastime of ours. It feels good to watch our partners being active and not feeling bored for once, and that the little ones are also enjoying themselves so much, it takes a prayer or two to get them out of the water at the end of the day.

Tour dates in 2019 (Sunday-Sunday):

  • June 16 – 23
  • July 7 – 14
  • July 21 – 28
  • August 4 – 11 FULL
  • August 11 – 18 FULL

 

Rates per person:

  • Adult: EUR590 (liveaboard) + EUR50 (port fee)
  • Child younger than 12 years old: EUR295 (liveaboard) + EUR50 (port fee)
  • Child younger than 2 years old: EUR195 (liveaboard) + EUR50 (port fee)

Rates include:

  • Transfers between Hurghada airport and the boat
  • Full-board accommodations onboard
  • 3 main meals a day (buffet style service), snacks, fruits
  • Unlimited mineral water, soft drinks, tea, coffee
  • One 12l aluminum tank / person (DIN connection recommended)
  • Weights
  • Diving
  • 2 dive guides
  • Bed linens and towel use
  • Free Wifi where coverage is available
  • Shisha (water pipe) in the Arabian café onboard

 

Additional expenses:

  • Egyptian entry visa (USD25 / person, at Hurghada airport)
  • Travel and diving insurance
  • Tip to the guides and crew if you are satisfied with the service (EUR30 / person recommended)

 

Rates do not include:

  • All other items not mentioned above
  • Flights
  • Nitrox (for divers)
  • 15l or double tank rental (for divers)
  • Alcoholic beverages (may be purchased at the Duty-Free shops before the tour)
  • Diving equipment rental (for divers)
  • Satellite phone use
  • Beach towels
  • Touristic programs
  • Personal expenses
  • Travel insurance for all guests, plus diving insurance for divers are mandatory for being able to participate in the tours.

Our boat – M/Y Andromeda motor yacht

You can choose between comfortable, air-conditioned twin- and queen-bed cabins equipped with private bathrooms. The bathrooms have warm-water showers, toilets, and a sink. We provide bed linens and towels for cabin use for each guest.

The boat boasts 2 sun decks and a covered deck. The dive deck is at the back of the boat along with a spacious platform from where you can enter the water.

Meal service is in the dining room. The European salon is perfect for playing and for watching films. And shisha is available in the Arabian café onboard.

The detailed program

Sunday

  • Arrival in Hurghada
  • Transfer from the airport to the boat
  • Getting settled in the cabins
  • Group briefing in the salon, welcome drinks
  • Individual programs for the rest of the day in the harbour or in town
  • Dinner onboard
  • Shisha in the Arabian café or in the harbour

Monday

  • Sailing out in the morning, heading for Shaab El Erg (about 1 hour ride)
  • Breakfast at 08:00
  • Morning coffee and tea in the salon
  • Snorkelling with dolphins in the morning
  • Diving at Shaab El Erg for certified divers
  • Lunch at 13:00
  • Sailing to Gubal Island, arriving at 15:00-16:00
  • Afternoon snacks, fruits are served
  • Programs until 19:00
  • Snorkelling at the house reef
  • Riding with zodiacs in the Strait of Gubal
  • Relaxing on the inflatable donuts/islands in the water
  • Riding with zodiacs to the white sandy beaches of the islands for some snorkelling, swimming
  • Diving at Gubal for certified divers
  • Introduction dives in full gear for those who are not certified divers
  • Dinner at 19:00
  • After dinner, shisha in the Arabian café, or watching films in the salon
  • Night diving at the wreck in the strait for certified divers

Tuesday, Wednesday

  • Staying at Gubal Island
  • Breakfast at 08:00
  • Morning coffee, tea in the salon
  • Snorkelling at the house reef in the morning
  • Riding with zodiacs in the Strait of Gubal
  • Relaxing on the inflatable donuts/islands in the water
  • Riding with zodiacs to the white sandy beaches of the islands for some snorkelling, swimming
  • Diving at Gubal for certified divers
  • Introduction dives in full gear for those who are not certified divers
  • Lunch at 13:00
  • Siesta
  • Afternoon snacks, fruits are served
  • Afternoon programs until 19:00
  • Snorkelling at the house reef
  • Riding with zodiacs in the strait
  • Relaxing on the inflatable donuts/islands in the water
  • Riding with zodiacs to the white sandy beaches of the islands for some snorkelling, swimming
  • Diving at Gubal for certified divers
  • Introduction dives in full gear for those who are not certified divers
  • Dinner at 19:00 (on days with no wind, BBQ dinner on the island)
  • After dinner, shisha in the Arabian café, or watching films in the salon
  • Night diving at the wreck in the strait for certified divers

Thursday

  • Sailing to Siyul Island
  • Breakfast at 08:00
  • Lunch at 13:00
  • Afternoon snacks, fruits
  • Dinner at 19:00
  • In between meals:
  • Snorkelling, riding with zodiacs
  • Relaxing on the inflatable donuts/islands in the water
  • Riding with zodiacs to the white sandy beaches of the islands for some snorkelling, swimming
  • Diving for certified divers
  • Introduction dives in full gear for those who are not certified divers

Friday

  • Sailing to Tual Island
  • Breakfast at 08:00
  • Lunch at 13:00
  • Afternoon snacks, fruits
  • Dinner at 19:00
  • In between meals:
  • Riding with zodiacs to the white sandy beaches of the islands for some snorkelling, swimming
  • Relaxing, playing on the beach
  • Riding with zodiacs
  • Relaxing on the inflatable donuts/islands in the water

Saturday

  • Sailing out in the morning, heading for Shaab el Erg dolphin reef (about 2 hours ride)
  • Breakfast at 08:00
  • Morning coffee and tea in the salon
  • Snorkelling with dolphins in the morning
  • Diving at Shaab El Erg for certified divers
  • Lunch at 13:00
  • Snorkelling with dolphins after lunch
  • Diving at Shaab El Erg for certified divers
  • Heading for Hurghada at 14:00 (about 1 hour ride)
  • Afternoon snacks and fruits served
  • Individual programs in the harbour or in town until 19:00
  • Good-bye dinner at the back of the boat under the stars
  • After dinner, shisha in the Arabian café, or watching films in the salon

Sunday

  • Breakfast at around 07:00-08:00
  • Transfer to the airport
  • Departure for home
For booking, payment, and cancellation terms, write to us at info@cassiopeiasafari.com .

Cousteau’s favourite dive sites (2019 appointments)

Many dive sites close to Cousteau’s own heart had since become world-renowned. But which were the great explorer’s top 10 favourites?

  1. Shaab Rumi, Sudan
  2. Sipadan, Malaysia
  3. Cocos Island, Costa Rica
  4. Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand
  5. Aliwal Shoal, South Africa
  6. Vancouver Island, Canada
  7. Blue Hole, Belize
  8. Cozumel, Mexico
  9. Heron Island, Australia
  10. Richelieu Rock, Thailand

It is no surprise that Sudan’s Shaab Rumi made the list, after all, great experiences, and exciting work and discoveries connect him to this site. Marvellous diving and an Academy Award. Jacques Cousteau, also known as the father of scuba diving, not only loved diving in this region of the Red Sea, but he had made several discoveries as well.

Jacques Cousteau, or Captain Cousteau to many, was a world-famous marine explorer who dedicated his entire life to marine discoveries. His main fields of interest bore not only great significance to science, but they also raised the curiosity of the general public. He garnered absolute fame with his underwater experiments he conducted in the beginning of the 1960s. Can man live underwater for a prolonged period of time? As part of his Precontinent II experiment, he spent a month living underwater, which they documented in a film. The film, titled “World Without Sun”, was awarded the Oscar in the category of Best Documentary Feature. It says a lot that of all the seas in the world, he chose the Sudanese Red Sea for his experiment. Though to those who had been to Sudan before, this is a no-brainer. One thing is for certain – Captain Cousteau had definitely managed to place Sudan into the psyche of divers.

Anybody who had dived in Egypt before knows that the Red Sea is an amazing and excellent place for scuba diving. Yet, one cannot simply think that if they had dived in Egypt, they saw everything the Red Sea has to offer. Far from the truth, since the Sudanese Red Sea is exceptional and incomparable. While you dive in the same Red Sea in both countries, the two experiences could not be any different. In Egypt hundreds of liveaboards sail the waters, but in Sudan this number barely reaches ten. The result of which may be that during a liveaboard trip, you see no other boat in sight. Sudan hides the most gorgeous and most pristine coral reefs in the Red Sea that shelter an feed its entire marine life.

This is where you will find the Red Sea’s marine life at its most abundant. Sudan’s warm and crystal clear waters support over 400 species of corals, and over 1,500 species of fish, turtles, and sharks. Large fish live here in large numbers, many of which are rare and even endangered. Here you will always see barracudas, spotted rays, morays, and giant parrotfish, to name a few. The coastal waters of Sudan are also ranked among the top sites for shark lovers. You will encounter grey reef, silky, hammerhead, white-tip, and whale sharks in this region.

If you had a diving bucket list, what would you include? If Sudan is up there, then…

… you should know that the most ideal time for diving in Sudan is between February and May. During these months water temperatures are around 25-28C, and this is when the marine life is at its best and richest. Dive with us on one of our trips:

And now would be a good time to mention that you can visit more of Cousteau’s favourite sites with us, like Mexico (Socorro and Guadalupe).

We are happy to send you further details. Send your inquiries to: info@cassiopeiasafari.com

Playing with wild dolphins

Let’s face it, Shaab El Erg is not the most beautiful or the most famous diving spot in the Red Sea. It is only one of the hundreds of reefs alike. This week we have had a few beginner divers in our group, so we had decided on this protected bay to be the site of the first dive. The 8-10m depth is perfect for a check dive.

Playing with wild dolphins in the egyptian Red Sea
After jumping into the water, the usual Red Sea marine life was waiting for us – tiny red fish near the reef, black and yellow angelfish in pairs and on the sea bottom, barbels were digging for food in the sand. Blue-spotted ray – check. Murena underneath the reef – check. We were about halfway into our dive when dolphins showed up unexpectedly. Their familiar whistles and the gentle easy with which they glided through the water took our breath away. They circled us a few times, took a closer look at us and then as quickly as they came, they disappeared. Once onboard, we were all excited to share our experiences with the dolphins. Can you imagine what an unforgettable joy it is for someone to meet with dolphins on their first ever dive in the sea!

On the following dive, two of the more advanced divers decided to explore the rest of the reef with underwater scooters. But they had to can the idea because as soon as they entered the water, the dolphins showed up again. They were behaving a bit odd, moving their heads up and down, swimming on their backs and taking a closer look at us but they were even more interested in the scooters. Once the divers had realised this, a happy game began to play out between them and the dolphins but let the video say it all:

I have been diving for more than 10 years and have almost 600 dives but I have never experienced anything this exciting! Don’t miss this place when you are in Egypt!

Text and video: Istvan Sulyok
Photo: Daniel Selmeczi