Dubai seems an unlikely spot for a shark attack but a recent scenario reminded us that shark encounters can happen anywhere there’s salt water. Video was captured there this week showing a woman being cut off from the beach by a shark in a terrifying scenario as a lifeguard tries to warn her to make her way to shore. The incident happened at Kite Beach, a popular place for kitesurfing – hence the name. The shark does seem to be in stalking mode, but didn’t attack. There were several swimmers in the water at the time.
The woman actually handles the situation with aplomb: she doesn’t panic or splash around like a dying animal, which could have easily attracted the shark’s attention. She just simply waits the large apex predator out. The area is about six hours east of Qatar in the Persian Gulf, where the World Cup soccer tournament is currently being held.
Shark attacks are rare in the UAE. An Irish man was reportedly bitten in August of 2021 and suffered wounds to his leg, from which he recovered. An Emirati fisherman was bitten while returning to his boat after a freedive in 2017 in Khor Fakkan on the other side of the peninsula in the Gulf of Oman. His fishing partner was able to shoot the shark, which they then dragged to shore. You can read about that incident here.
