Although no incidence of shark attack has been recorded in Qatari waters since the days of the pearling industry which ended 60 or 70 years ago, some people still consider sharks a possible threat to swimmers, quite without justification.
Sharks are naturally nervous creatures and steer clear of humans. However, when the pearling fleets anchored on the oyster beds for 3 months at a time and food scraps were being thrown overboard daily, sharks hung around the boats and overcame their natural fear, and attacks on divers sometimes occurred.
Hammerhead Sharks are sometimes seen in the shipping channel at Ras Laffan, following the boats as they come in. Other sharks known in the region are Tiger and Leopard Sharks, and the harmless Grey Reef and Nurse Sharks which feed on the inshore reefs.
Sharks
Discovering Qatar
Although no incidence of shark attack has been recorded in Qatari waters since the days of the pearling industry which ended 60 or 70 years ago, some people still consider sharks a possible threat to swimmers, quite without justification.
Sharks are naturally nervous creatures and steer clear of humans. However, when the pearling fleets anchored on the oyster beds for 3 months at a time and food scraps were being thrown overboard daily, sharks hung around the boats and overcame their natural fear, and attacks on divers sometimes occurred.
Hammerhead Sharks are sometimes seen in the shipping channel at Ras Laffan, following the boats as they come in. Other sharks known in the region are Tiger and Leopard Sharks, and the harmless Grey Reef and Nurse Sharks which feed on the inshore reefs.
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