The Environment Ministry’s research team decided to reopen on Tuesday the beach of a hotel in Marsa Ghalib, north of Marsa Alam, 48 hours after having closed due to a shark attack.
The beach of the hotel will be opened for divers, and will be continue closed to snorkelers and swimmers.
An Oceanic Whitetip shark punctured Austrian tourist Kerstin Schachinger’s hip Saturday. The 20-year-old tourist suffered a deep laceration on her right leg. Schachinger was first admitted to Port Ghalib Hospital, where she received treatment for her wound.
On Tuesday, she was flown back to Austria for further treatment.
In statements to the Environment Ministry, Schahinger calimed she was among 40 snorkelers looking at dolphins, and that when they were returning to the beach a shark appeared before them.
They tourists panicked and one kicked the shark with their foot, after which the the shark diverted its course and bit Schachinger, who was in its way.
A research team — consisting of researchers and well-trained divers from Red Sea Marine Park Authority (RSMPA) — conducted an environmental and marine survey around the beach on Monday.
The team is set to submit a report on the results of the survey and the cause of the incident to Minister of Environment Khalid Fahmy and Major General Ahmed Abd Allah, governor of the Red Sea.
Earlier, in March, a rare Whale shark, known locally as ‘Bahloul’, was spotted in the Abudiab area north of Marsa Alam. It is the largest known existent fish species.
In June 2016, a 23-year-old man lost his leg after being attacked by a shark while swimming off the coast of Ain al-Sokhna.
The last reported shark attack in the Marsa Alam area, was in March 2015 when a 52-year-old German tourist was killed by a shark, as he was swimming along the shores of a local resort.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
