Shark attacks: the most dangerous regions. Sharks in Sri Lanka Reverse currents in Sri Lanka

When my friend and I thought about vacation, the first thing that came to mind was Egypt. But then a friend suggested visiting exotic countries. The travel agency recommended India. But it turned out that a visa is needed there, and it takes a month to process it. And we were offered for the same money (about $700) to fly to Sri Lanka, where a visa is issued upon arrival and costs about $40.

Departure - from Kyiv, transfer - in Qatar. When boarding the plane in Kyiv, we met the flight attendant Yulia - the girl turned out to be from Bobruisk. Upon arrival in Qatar, she offered to show us local sights, we had a whole day before the flight to Sri Lanka. Julia took us to the local market, the old part cities. It is very beautiful there - you feel like you are in some kind of movie. In addition, Qatar was struck by a huge airport. I haven't seen these yet. To get from one part of the airport to another, you had to take an electric train.

In the city of Negombo, which is 30 km from Colombo (the capital of Sri Lanka), they arrived late at night. As a result, the road took 2.5 days, we got back in 1.5 days.

We stayed in a hotel where only breakfast was included. We dined and dined in cafes ($7-10), sometimes in canteens where local dishes are prepared - such a meal cost half as much. Dishes are prepared mostly spicy, but it's not scary. More frightened shark meat and octopus tentacles, which we somehow decided to order. It didn't look good, but it was delicious!

Attractions are scattered throughout the island - you need to travel to see. Guide services are expensive, so locals were asked about what to see. On the Internet, we met a Belarusian woman who has her own travel agency in Sri Lanka. Thanks to her, we saw the island.

Impressed by the port in the city of Hambantota - amazing architecture. We went to tea plantations and climbed mountains. But the most unforgettable is elephant riding. They are so huge. We stroked them, rubbed them with a piece of coconut. This is something incredible!

I did not regret that I agreed to the exotic, although the trip cost about $1600. If I were to fly to Sri Lanka now, I would not become attached to one place - I would live in one, then in another. And in general, advice to those who are going to Sri Lanka: take a moped and explore the island, then you will see a lot of interesting things. Learn at least a couple of words and phrases in English, it is very difficult to explain on the fingers. And be careful with the drivers of tuk-tuks (covered three-wheeled motorcycles) - they like to breed visitors for money.

Julia Ustinovich, spent 12 days in Bali:

My friend and I trip was spontaneous: the decision was made in just a couple of days. I wanted warmth and beauty. We went through the options on the Internet and chose Bali: we were impressed by the beautiful landscapes and the ocean. Bought a tour worth €1400 for one. The flight was from Riga with transfers in Istanbul and Singapore. On the way - 1.5 days.

In Istanbul, we had to worry about our luggage. For three hours we were looking for our suitcases (for some reason they could not be immediately sent from Riga to their final destination) and were even ready to say goodbye to them. But a miracle happened.

Have you ever been the last one on the plane when the doors are immediately closed behind you and the plane immediately takes off? We are yes. The passengers even applauded us.

As soon as we checked into the hotel, we went to the exchange office. 1 dollar is about 14 thousand rupees, and a good fresh costs 20 thousand. Breakfast was included, and we had lunch and dinner at local cafes and restaurants. Always tried to go to different places to try as many different dishes as possible. We had a goal: to try all the fruits. The most beautiful, but strange in taste and smell, was durian. We were warned that it smelled very bad, like rotten onions, and tasted even worse. We tried it and that's enough. About $300 was spent on food and Kopi Luwak coffee (one of the most expensive coffees in the world).

Even before the trip, we ourselves found a guide in Bali, who during our vacation took us to those places where only locals are allowed or accompanied by them. We saw Gunung Kawi - the oldest cave city XI century, where it is quiet and calm, there are no crowds of tourists, everything is green and there is a lot of water. We visited Pura Lempuyang - a temple on top of a mountain, which resembles a stairway to heaven.

Rice fields are love at first sight. It’s so beautiful there, it feels like the picture has come to life. We walked along the paths, touched the rice sprouts, sat between the rows and even swung on a swing above them.

The big disadvantage of Bali is the dirt. Tourist places are more or less cleaned up, but not where we were with a local guide. Cows on the arable land eat grass along with bags of chips, a lot of garbage is thrown onto public beaches by water.

But the atmosphere and nature on the island cover all the bad things. We did not regret that we chose Bali. Would like to go back there again.
For those who are going to Bali, I advise you to take clothes made from natural fabrics with you. Learn English. Do not take package tours. A local guide will tell and show you more for less money.

Christina Vodchits, 11 days rested in the Maldives:

My husband and I did not even consider Egypt and Turkey, we wanted to see something exotic. At first they thought about Thailand, but the travel agency said that a visa was needed there, and its processing would take about three weeks. Of the visa-free countries were the Maldives. There, only upon arrival you had to pay a fee of $10. We were satisfied with this option. We paid $4,100 for a tour for two.

We flew from Minsk, which is both more convenient and cheaper than from Moscow. The whole journey took about a day: we flew to Abu Dhabi, from Abu Dhabi to Male. The Maldives is more than a thousand coral islands.

We got to our island first by “corn”, and then by boat.

The first thing that caught my eye was, of course, the ocean. The water is clear, blue, fish, stingrays and sharks swim right by the shore. White sand and palm trees everywhere.

The island on which we rested is very small: on its territory there is only one hotel, consisting of several buildings. For an additional fee of $150, they offer to rent a house right on the water. True, it must be borne in mind that such housing is "sickness" and is not suitable for everyone.

Our tour was all inclusive, so there were no questions about where to have lunch or dinner. The menu includes meat, fish, salads, sweets. There is little seafood: fishing in local waters is prohibited, everything is brought from other countries and is expensive. In the Maldives, there is something like a “dry law”: you can’t bring alcohol with you, but at customs, if they find it, they take it away. At the same time, alcohol can be bought on the island, but it costs exorbitant prices.

The temperature both at night and during the day is +35 degrees and above. The water in the ocean is very warm, but people swam mostly in pools. They were afraid of sharks, of which there are a lot.

Nature in the Maldives is, of course, mesmerizing. But entertainment is bad. There are no architectural monuments on the island. Of the nightlife - one bar. The hotel has a tennis court, you can play checkers and chess, beach volleyball and basketball. But most vacationers lie on the beach, sunbathe, read books.

To add at least some variety to our vacation, we rented bicycles and traveled around the island. For two bikes for three days, we paid $25. My husband also went on a sea fishing trip that cost $150.

In general, we liked the rest, but it was a bit boring. The Maldives is a great option for those who want to go to quiet place, retire and relax. Young people who want entertainment, the Maldives will not work.

Caution: sharks
With the onset of cold weather, more and more Russians and Ukrainians, and last years and Belarusians, begin to dream of sandy beaches warm southern seas. If you happened to be on the coast of Thailand, India, Bali, ocean islands or other exotic countries, you must have been surprised that with the proximity of the ocean, the natives themselves prefer swimming in blue waves splashing in chlorinated pools. One of the main reasons for this is the fear of shark attacks.

But guides are in no hurry to bring tourists up to date - even if one or two accidents happen, they will soon be forgotten, and the tourism business will flourish again. Yes, and tourists themselves sometimes show simply amazing carelessness, considering such an opportunity as a priority of world cinema.

Meanwhile, cases of shark attacks on people are not as rare as it is believed. Available world statistics attacks are not entirely reliable. If we take average values, then it is believed that we can talk about about nine known unprovoked shark attacks per year. But there are other numbers as well. For example, there are statistics that over the past year, underwater predators have attempted on people 58 times. Most of the attacks are on great white sharks. After great whites in terms of the number of attacks on swimmers and divers, there are tiger and bull sharks.

Here is just one of latest news October 19 this year: “Linda Whitehurst, 52, was kayaking off the east coast of Australia when a shark approached her. predatory fish attacked the woman, began to bite the boat in which she was sailing. Whitehurst said she hit the shark with a paddle until the fish swam away. Only then did the frightened woman head to the shore, where she received four stitches on her bitten hand. Half an hour after the incident, the beach where it all happened was closed, but a few hours later it was reopened.”

Sharks have ruled the ocean for over 400 million years. They can swim long distances, preferring the warm water of the southern seas. The speed of movement of some sharks exceeds 40 km / h, so it is almost impossible to swim away from the shark.

To understand why shark attacks happen to people, you need to understand the behavior of these fish. For example, big White shark hunts marine mammals: seals, dolphins, sea lions and sometimes sea ​​turtles. When approaching a prey, the shark usually swims directly at the surface of the water, showing the notorious menacing fin familiar to us from many films and cartoons. Attacking, the shark often jumps out of the water. Experts believe that sharks can tell an edible thing from an inedible thing only by tasting it by sinking their teeth into it. That is, the cause of most shark attacks is a mistake in identifying the victim. When a swimmer flutters in the water, his movements are similar to those of a fish, a cat, or a turtle. And the natural reaction of the predator to this is to attack.

The opinion often present in films that sharks are able to return to a successful hunting place or even take revenge on a person is absolutely ridiculous. Sharks are rather primitive creatures and incapable of such deep reasoning.

What to do if you saw this formidable fin not far away? Return to land or boat immediately if possible. If you can't do this, slowly lean against the reef wall, a rock, or a large rock and remain still. If the shark attacks and you have nothing else to do, the only way salvation - maximum aggressive behavior. Try to hit her in the face with any object you have, camera, diving mask, etc. In extreme cases, by hand, although the skin of many sharks is very rough and can easily bleed you.

But still The best way to prevent a meeting with a shark is to take precautions.

How to avoid the fate of a shark dinner:

1. It is safest to swim in hotel pools, but if you still want to swim in the ocean, try to swim where the water area is fenced with special anti-shark nets.

2. Sharks are attracted to blood even in the smallest concentration. If you have a wound or a fresh scratch on your body, do not go into the water. The sense of smell of sharks is able to feel a single drop of blood dissolved in a million drops of water. They are also attracted to garbage, carrion, and vomit.

3. Avoid swimming in the open sea, deep-water straits, close to places of industrial or household emissions, fishing and in estuaries. Sharks swim into rivers and travel hundreds of kilometers upstream. Even a shallow and narrow river can attract a hungry shark. After all, a shark can attack in a shallow place, even at a depth of less than a meter.

4. Don't swim alone. Sharks are more likely to attack a single swimmer than a group of multiple swimmers.

5. Do not wear shiny jewelry and watches when going for a swim. Sharks often mistake the gleam of jewelry in the water for the gleam of fish scales. It is also considered not necessary to wear swimwear with bright contrasting colors that make you look like bright tropical fish.

6. Do not swim at dusk, at dawn or after dark, and also in muddy water. In short, bathing water should be well lit and crystal clear.

The number of shark attacks per person. This completely contradicts the claims of scientists that attacks by ruthless predators are rare.

In connection with high-profile shark attacks on resorts popular among Russian tourists, choosing a coast for recreation is now becoming a difficult task.

Studying bright booklets with tempting offers from tour operators often reminds gambling with fate, the stake in which is life.

Enough to rely on "maybe"! To minimize the risk of being attacked by a deadly predator, you should choose vacation spots with your eyes open, fully armed with knowledge about the level of safety of the beach you like.

Which coast does not have sharks?

Don't be fooled - sharks are everywhere. These true masters of the oceans control every inch of salt water. Moreover, they can be found at any depth, in each of the existing water zones and on the territory of various bottom landscapes.

And that is not all. Some varieties dangerous predators adapted to fresh water.

However, you should be aware that even the crystal clear history of a particular resort is not a guarantee that in the future none of the sharks will not.

Therefore, reasonable caution and safety measures should be observed even at those resorts where a shark can be seen alive only in the nearest aquarium.

• The beaches of Barbados stand out among the safest vacation spots - River Bay, Bath Beach, Malibu Beach, Long Beach and others: in the entire history there have been no cases of shark attacks, so even surfers, who attract the attention of ocean predators more than other categories of vacationers, can feel protected .
• Sharks have never been observed in the area of ​​Blackpool Beach, a famous British resort located on the coast of the Irish Sea.
• The Barcelona beaches of Bogatell, NuevaIcaria, Sant Miquell, Barceloneta, Llevant give a special chic to a holiday in Spain: they know what a shark looks like here only from illustrations and photographs.
• Some areas of the coast of the Canary Islands are also famous for the absence of sharks - the beaches of the Morro Jable resort receive special attention from tourists.
• The coast of Italy, excluding the beaches located in the Tyrrhenian Sea zone, is also one of the safest places. Sharks are rare guests here, and history does not remember cases of aggression towards vacationers.
• Do not lose sight of domestic resorts: the Black Sea coast, long developed and dearly loved by Russian tourists, does not threaten with dangers - living in the local waters, does not pose a danger to swimmers.
• For those who have always dreamed of visiting the Australian coast, but were forced to deprive themselves of such pleasure due to the abundance in these places dangerous sharks, there is excellent information. The beaches of the cities of Perth and Broome, as well as the resorts of Surfers Paradise, Main Beach and Broadbeach of the Gold Coast, are consistently listed as safe places from the point of view of shark attacks. The reason is the brilliant preparation and strict control of the organizers of the holiday, which provides tourists with a comfortable pastime.

Watch video - Protecting people from sharks in Russia:

Popular holiday destinations and sharks

Alas, the memory of what happened on the coast of the enchantingly beautiful Red Sea will not be erased soon.

There are more than enough dangerous predators in the local waters, but until recently, sharks carefully avoided Egyptian beaches, preferring the waters of Sudan, which is much less developed by tourists.

This once again confirms the truth that no resort on the ocean can be considered absolutely safe.

2. Greece, Spain, Malta, Sicily, French Cote d'Azur

Resorts in these countries, as well as other popular tourist destinations, are considered relatively safe despite the presence of dangerous inhabitants.

Meeting vacationers with sharks on the Mediterranean coast is extremely rare. In addition, the local sharks are not aggressive - even the recorded collisions of a person with a predator very rarely had fatal consequences.

The reason for the low number of sharks is the absence of seals and fur seals, which are the main food source of predators. Local sharks have to hunt for big fish, which live mainly at great depths, so the coastal strip is free from ferocious hunters.

However, the collisions of people with toothy beasts in these places are so rare that stories about such cases can be safely classified as legends. However, in recent years it has increased markedly.

Perhaps the small number of predators here is due to large-scale fishing, which is actively hunted by local residents.

The extermination of predators takes on frightening proportions in the waters of Thailand, which provides tourists with a safe pastime.

This information is also valid for Malaysia, Vietnam, some resorts in Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives.

5. South African coast, Hawaiian Islands

They are on the list of unreliable places in terms of potential danger from a collision with sharks.

The choice of vacation spot is up to you.

If you experience a lack of adrenaline, want to compete with a predator, proving to an unreasonable creature the superiority of intelligence - you can tempt fate as much as you like at "shark-dangerous" resorts.

If you want to relax in comfort, without flinching from the shadows flickering under water, go to the coast with an exemplary reputation.

But remember that it is impossible to completely eliminate the chance of meeting a shark, which means that at any resort you will have to be on the alert and carefully follow the safety rules.

For the sake of health and life.

Watch the video - The original way protection against shark attacks:

October 21, 2015 (1$~140 rupees). All those who come to Sri Lanka, first of all, want to get to the alluring tropical beaches. At the same time, little thought is given to the characteristics indian ocean, about the rules of safe behavior on the water, they are in a hurry and forget the well-known proverb about the unknown ford.

How to overcome the surf

God surrounded Sri Lanka almost always with a rough sea with strong surf. Crashed big waves, like white breakers, constantly roll towards the shore in 3-4 rows. You just need to learn how to safely relax in such wonderful conditions.

It is not easy to get to the depth even by walking along the bottom. You have to strongly rest against the bottom with your feet or jump up. At this moment, the waves are trying to push the person ashore.

To overcome the waves of rushing water rushing towards you, you do not need to stretch your neck up. When the next shaft approaches, it is better to lower your head completely into the water and skip the wave above you. And so on until the exit for the surf line. This is a very good workout for beginners. After it, you will not look for beaches in Sri Lanka without waves.

Having reached the place where it rises, twists and breaks the first wave, to overcome it, it is necessary, if the wave is not very large, to jump up high. But this does not always help. A more universal method is to dive under the wave, let it pass over you and immediately emerge. If you swim a little further beyond the surf line, you can swing in relatively calm water. It is better not to swim near beginner surfers. You can get injured.

Reverse currents in Sri Lanka

Waves rushing to the shore and carrying cubic meters of water must flow back into the ocean somewhere. The reverse flow of water forms invisible zones as it flows away from the shore. The width of the current is small, about 20 meters and can reach up to several hundred meters in length.

A swimmer who has fallen into such a zone, if he does not act correctly, then swims to the shore. Seeing that he is being carried away to the sea, he begins to panic, row more vigorously, loses strength and goes to the bottom.

The feeling of fear helps to survive, while panic, on the contrary, destroys.

To avoid such a finale, one must first swim not to the shore, but parallel to it. Get out of the reverse flow area and then turn towards solid ground.

You can swim only in places specially designed for this - on the beaches, in the season, preferably near the lifeguard tower, or at least where many other vacationers swim, it is better with loved ones, with those who can, in which case, come to the rescue or raise the alarm where good shore, no rocks and reefs and of course no abuse...

If weather allow swimming, then lifeguards must put up a red - yellow flag, and if swimming is prohibited - then red. To attract the attention of swimmers, lifeguards blow a whistle and wave their hands so that everyone in the water immediately returns to the shore.

Weather conditions change very quickly. Early warning is not always possible. When breathtaking 3-5 meter waves came to Long Beach in Hikkaduwa, the whistle was heard with a clear delay.

We have repeatedly heard the stories of vacationers about tourists who disappeared at sea. They themselves helped two Arabs who began to choke to get out. There are sharks in the sea. Fortunately for us, there were no recorded shark attacks on people. Too much warm water completely kills their appetite. They themselves regularly find themselves in the nets of local fishermen, on the market, and then on the menu of numerous restaurants. Sharks in Sri Lanka are not scary, but delicious. The price of 1 kg of shark meat at the Hikkaduwa fish market is about 600 rupees (~$4).

According to rumors from the Internet, snorkeling on east coast, near the city of Trincomalee, you can even swim with sharks. We visited the beaches of Trincomalee. Didn't encounter sharks. Why? See our trip report. We ourselves became interested in maritime security measures only after an incident that happened to us because of our self-confidence and almost led to sad consequences.

Personal experience: getting to know the surf

Sri Lanka. Hikkaduwa. Sunny morning, beach. Not far from the lifeguard tower. Once I, Dima and Ira decided to swim on a large sandbank, located on the central beach of Hikkaduwa, next to the Dolphin restaurant, 50 meters from the shore, to frolic in big waves.

They are formed there constantly and even in calm weather they are quite large: there you can jump up when a wave approaches, dive under it, run, well, in general, have fun. And waves of this size rarely reach the shore, and the ocean was calm, almost calm, friendly waves, a light breeze - in short, the weather is super, favorable.

No sooner said than done. We pushed off the sandy bottom and headed for the open ocean to the inviting shoal. While sailing to the shallows, we first crossed paths with a pirogue with one side float. Almost made a hole in its fiberglass board. I even had to warn the rower by switching to sign language. He rolled a couple from China, took them from the reef, where tourists admired the corals and watched its colorful inhabitants. A little later, another boat with tourists slipped by, already a motor boat. Her helmsman had a good view of our heads.

We, a friendly backbone, continued our pleasant path. We talked a little, smiled, enjoyed the gentle waves and the sound of the surf.

Dima, then swam forward then returned. It was great.

And now the shallows are within easy reach. We rowed confidently towards the calling, raging waves. They rose up, twisted, sparkled, translucent and broke into white foam, refreshing the three conquerors of the Indian Ocean.

We swam to the shallows, and the waves carried us back from the shallow water and covered us with our heads. We rowed continuously and increasingly measuring the depth, checking the long-awaited sand with our feet. The sandbar was nearby, around here somewhere. She couldn't have failed in the end. The waves came one after another, periodically covering us headlong. The movements became sharper, and the future moved into the zone of uncertainty. I moved in the wrong direction, then returned to the right course.

Dima is ahead, then Ira, then me. It became noticeable that Ira began to breathe more often and turn her head in search of shallows. Dima has already sunk to the bottom and has become a reliable guide for us. Ira and I buried together in his direction. We swam, swam, swam, swam, we no longer wanted to dive under the waves covering our heads. I wanted to stop quickly, right now, and catch my breath. Our landmark was covered by another, especially cool wave and thrown off the shallows. “Well, where is the bank?” Irina exhaled, turning her head excitedly. Somewhere here, confused, Dima gurgled.

The blue sky, the azure ocean, the distant emerald shore: everything imperceptibly became black and white. We did not give up and continued to fight against the elements. We were not laughing.

A few endless seconds and we, on slightly trembling legs, got out onto the shallows and clung to it with all ten toes. The waves continued their merry run, calling to play and have fun, but it seemed to us that they were trying to push us into the water. We wanted to stand and catch our breath, hold on to the edge of this little shoal and catch our breath. Which we did with difficulty, taking the position of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, sometimes holding hands for insurance. Our guide, who is also a big dolphin, looked at us with bewilderment. He did not notice the whole avalanche of our experiences with Ira.

Having had enough rest and plucking up determination, we decided not to call the rescuers, we exhaled and went to Return trip. Road to big land was surprisingly short. On our side were the wind, and the waves, and our knowledge that the salvation of the drowning was only in our hands.

Quickly getting ashore away from the waves, we sat down on friendly and most importantly - reliable sand. We recovered our breath properly, calmed down, and saw our "miracle island" again in colors and colors. And we promised ourselves: we will never swim beyond the buoys again!

Later, having trained, we repeatedly swam on this shallow, swam up to it a little from the side from the side of the "turtles".

In conclusion, I will once again repeat the words of the well-known son of a Turkish citizen: the salvation of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves. Observe water safety measures. The ocean will become your reliable friend, a source of health and joy.