Shark Attacks 4 Tourists in Red Sea

(Dec. 2) -- Egypt has imposed a 48-hour swimming ban at some of its resorts along the Red Sea after a shark mauled four tourists there, including at least one whose arm was bitten off.

Authorities believe the attacks are all from a single animal, an oceanic white tip shark that surprised swimmers by approaching them in shallow waters. Three Russians and a Ukrainian were wounded Tuesday and Wednesday, Reuters quoted Egypt's state news agency as saying. One of them is in critical condition, the BBC reported.

Russian media are carrying reports today that the rogue shark has been captured.

"Oceanic white tip sharks are ranked the third most dangerous shark breed globally," Red Sea diver Ibrahim al-Shazly told Reuters. "Such an attack is quite rare. ... The last incident was last year when a French tourist died after her leg was ripped off."

Scuba diving instructor Hassan Salem said he was underwater at the time of Wednesday's attack, and that the shark circled him before going after a Russian couple instead. "I was able to scare the shark away by blowing bubbles in its face, but then saw it swim to a woman and bite her legs," he told London's Daily Mail.

The Sinai peninsula's otherwise pristine, turquoise coastline along the Red Sea is a haven for scuba drivers and snorkelers, and it's famous for its abundant coral and exotic fish. Resorts at Sharm El Sheikh, where this week's shark attacks occurred, are especially popular with Russian tourists in winter and attract about 3 million visitors each year.

Oceanic white tip sharks can grow up to about 12 feet long. But as the name suggests, they're mostly found in deep oceans and not near coastlines.

"This event is absolutely extraordinary," Richard Peirce, chairman of the U.K.-based Shark Trust, told The Guardian. "Since records began in the late 16th century, there have been only nine recorded attacks on humans by an oceanic white tip. It's abnormal behavior."

Peirce speculated that something must have attracted the shark to the beach where tourists were swimming.

"It's likely that it involves something being put in or on the water," he said. "If fishing vessels have started coming near the beaches and they're discarding unwanted fish over the side, then that's a powerful shark attractant."

Egyptian police and health officials have not released details of their investigation.