It began 10 days ago when the normally pristine tropical waters turned a murky red, after sharks mauled three Russians and a Ukrainian over a two-day period. With the world-renowned snorkel and dive center heading into the holiday high season, local governor Mohammed Shosha closed off the beaches for 48 hours, during which time the authorities killed two sharks. He then declared the all clear and reopened the beaches. But within 24 hours, in keeping with the Jaws story line, it became brutally clear that Shosha had been wrong: a German woman standing chest-deep in the water was killed by another shark.While this is horrific, always remember that only a tiny minority of sharks attack humans.
Egyptian authorities have few clues regarding an explanation for the attacks, although they are pursuing unconfirmed reports that one shark cried out "Allahu Sharkbar" before devouring a tourist.
UPDATE: Why do I bother with satire? The Egyptians are actually pursuing a lead that the Israelis sent the sharks. Well, the governor of Sinai believes the word on the street, anyway. No official word from Cairo on the controversy.
