Experts probe deadly Mexico flu

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Title – Experts probe deadly Mexico fluSource – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 24th April 2009

The news that has come out of Mexico over the last few years has not been universally good for tourism and this latest blow is set to hit them hard, especially with regard to the bulk of their tourist market which comes from the USA.

It has to be said that Mexico certainly has some challenges for the independent traveller. If it is not the increasing levels of violence between the drug cartels and the authorities, then it is corruption that is rife amongst the police; if it is not the high risk from muggings, then it the dramatic increase in kidnapping, especially ‘express kidnapping; and if there were not the usual travel health concerns, there is now very serious concern from this deadly strain of Swine Flu.

But let us not run for the hills just yet, Mexico is a very large country and the spate of infections and deaths do seem in the main to have taken place in densely populated areas such as Mexico City; and there are many other reasons not to spend much time in Mexico City…

The key is to be aware of the situation and take effective measures. Today you will see most people in Mexico City wearing masks, so in crowded areas do the same (or better still, go to less crowded areas), be more cautious on public transport and avoid contact with anyone who displays flu-like symptoms.

The other point we have to emphasise is that this is far from being a pandemic and is in the early stages, but the WHO is not taking any chances and is taking the situation seriously and so should travellers. Always seek professional and local advice before and during your travel and keep an eye out to see if the situation gets any worse.

We should also point out that at this stage the strain of swine flu that is affecting people does seem to be easily treated with existing medication including ‘Tamiflu’ (the very same medication that governments have been stockpiling to deal with a potential Bird Flu pandemic) works effectively. The key to treatment is to catch it early, preferably within 48 hours. The symptoms are very similar to regular flu; fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing; some people have also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The key to treatment is that you inform your doctor as soon as possible if you have these symptoms and you have visited an affected area.

There are good reasons to be concerned about the risk from this virus; but if I were to travel to Mexico I would still have other concerns nearer to the top of my list at the moment. We recently heard the following story from a tourist in Mexico; which highlights the level of corruption there:

“When you rent the car the agent gives you a laminated card that was produced through an agreement between the mayor of Cancun and the rental car companies (and NOT the police). The card tells you that you are allowed by law two minor traffic infringements (red lights, speeding etc.) without the police being able to arrest you. Then it states very clearly that you should not give the police either money, your driving license, your passport or the laminated card if stopped.

We were stopped and a ‘policeman’ told us that we ran a red light (there were no traffic lights anywhere on the road). The police basically asked our friend who was driving for all the things that the card said they would ask for. My friend held firm and refused to hand over anything including the card. The card actually doubles up as an instant traffic fine also and so if you give them the card they charge you $50 as an instant traffic fine; all very complicated!! Basically you have to stand up to their intimidation and hope that they don't arrest you!”

At

Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Health, alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Many parts of the world present travellers with consistent travel health challenges, which are well documented and understood. However new ‘developments’ and local outbreaks mean that conducting your own research and risk assessment prior to travel is as essential as consulting your GP or travel clinic.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

UK backpacker dies in beach crash

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Title – UK backpacker dies in beach crashSource – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 19th April 2009

I try not to comment on the circumstances behind individual tragedies like this one, that is for the authorities to work through and I don’t think speculation helps. Rather I use these sad stories as examples of the potential consequences when circumstances conspire and the result is injury, the loss of life and the loss to families of their precious son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin, uncle, aunt, friend or soul mate.

Sadly that this tragedy occurred will come as no great surprise to anyone who has been to Fraser Island, the worlds largest sand island and one of

Australia’s most beautiful locations.

The problem is how people travel round Fraser Island, especially young people. The most common way is to hire a 4 x4 and camping equipment and take off for a few days. Fraser doesn’t have any roads as such, the beach is used as the highway and tracks take you inland; all of it driving on sand…

Anyone who has driven on sand knows it is a completely different skill to normal driving and a 15 minutes briefing can hardly prepare you for this. Add to this difficulty the issue of driving along a beach which seems deceptively straight forward until you encounter a problem and the ‘problems’ come in many different forms; the speed at which some people seem comfortable driving which far exceeds the recommended limits; the sand itself whose consistency changes from almost solid to very loose, yet never changes in appearance; the tide and ‘freak surges’ which can catch out those who choose to drive too close to the water’s edge and change the consistency of the sand underneath the vehicle making it uncontrollable; the gullies which appear with the inland water run-off, crisscrossing the beach and sometimes invisible until you are upon them (they can be a foot across and a foot deep in places; and then there is the vehicles themselves.

The vehicles are not in bad condition, but the way these trips generally operate is that the hire companies act as co-ordinators. They will get a number of young people (some individuals, some smaller groups) and bring them together to form a group of 10-12 people to hire one vehicle. Generally different people within that group will take turns driving while the majority sit in the back often without seatbelts. So although you may know and have some control over the people in your own group, you are leaving yourself open to being driven by a complete stranger who has joined you. Most people have never driven off-road, let alone on sand, they may be young and inexperienced and worst of all may feel peer pressure to show-off; dare I mention the number of groups who visit the ‘bottle shop’ before they leave for the island; all in all a potential accident waiting to happen.

Looking at the statistics of 120 recorded (and you can bet your life there are quite a ‘few’ unrecorded) accidents in 6 years or two a month, the dangers are certainly there for all to see.

Now again I can’t emphasise enough that I am not suggesting that any of these factors had anything to do with this particular accident, but rather just that there are inherent dangers in driving on Fraser Island.

I also am not suggesting for one second that Fraser Island should be excluded from your itinerary. I loved my time there, I remember celebrating a Birthday there with 11 complete strangers who somehow bought me a cake to celebrate… but I do advise that caution should be used when you are there. The good thing about the island is that your safety is very much in your hands, with the only exception being someone else crashing into you; which is no more likely there than anywhere else.

Take some sensible measures and you can reduce the risks considerably, without loosing any of the experience; Try and choose your group yourself (at a hostel or as you travel the rest of the country) and have a conversation about driving skills and driving styles before you leave; come up with a democratic way of vetoing an individual who drives badly and stopping them driving for the rest of the trip; drive sensibly and don’t drink and drive (remember drinking heavily the night before is likely to mean you are over the limit the following morning); listen to the briefing and follow their guidance, they know what they are talking about; if there are seatbelts wear them; speed kills generally, on sand speed is substantially more dangerous; if you are uncomfortable speak up or walk away, there is always another group and another time; and above all enjoy the island, not the driving!

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Transport Options alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Tragedies like this accident sadly do happen and our condolences go to the families of those so tragically killed and injured. There are judgements future visitors to Fraser Island can make to reduce the inherent risks these types of activities present.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

New limits to Antarctic tourism

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Title – New limits to Antarctic tourismSource – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 18th April 2009

Antarctica is possibly one of the world’s last great frontiers in travel, with vast tracks of undiscovered and undiscoverable wilderness, it has over the last few years started to become accessible; if only in tiny fractions.

I am all for travel, it expands the mind and reminds us that our word is an exceptional and fascinating place with secrets yet to be revealed and places / people we can yet gain knowledge from; Antarctica is just such a place.

But there is always a balance to be found and with such a fragile ecosystem it needs protecting, so I welcome this move to limit numbers of people allowed to visit. Undoubtedly it will make the whole experience more expensive, but this is a price worth paying if it protects something so unique for future generations.

There other aspect I like about the proposal, is the limit of 100 people allowed ashore at any one time. Personally I can’t imagine anything worse than landing on Antarctica and being welcomed by crowds; it strikes me that emptiness is one of the attractions and one of the unique features of this continent, in an otherwise ever more crowded world.

I have yet to go to this magical place but some of our advisors have been and I feel like I have been given more time to visit now; let’s hope they follow through on their promises.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Ethical and Responsible Travel, alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Travel is one of life’s great privileges and as with any privilege it should be appreciated and respected.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Fiji devalues dollar in crackdown

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Title – Fiji devalues dollar in crackdownSource – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th April 2009

On the face of it a good news story for tourists, but Fiji has been slowly taken down a very dangerous road towards effective dictatorship and people should consider carefully before they plan to travel there.

Fiji is used to coups there have been 4 in the last 20 odd years, but this one is turning out to be more sinister then most. When it first took place it almost seemed like a joke as it was postponed by a day to accommodate the annual army vs police rugby match (an important fixture in the rugby mad country), but with delay after delay in the promises of fresh democratic elections; there seems to be something distinctly more worrying afoot.

In the last few weeks that has become more apparent; when any country sacks it’s independent judiciary, it is time for the rest of the world to stand up and be heard. The concerns about Fiji which have long been talked about in Australia and New Zealand are now being strongly echoed by other nations including the UK and USA.

Amnesty International has joined the chorus of organisations voicing serious concerns at the slow erosion of freedoms in the country and the increasing grip the general has over the Fijian people.

This situation is one which makes me very sad, I have a affinity with the people of Fiji, it was among one of the first countries I visited as an independent traveller nearly 20 years ago and I have had the privilege of going back several times since. Fiji has a society (with the exception of the current military regime) from which the rest of the world has so much to learn; the emphasis on the wisdom of village elders, the fundamental respect of others being enshrined as a cornerstone of the community, honesty being respected and a welcome for visitors which is almost unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

Fiji was the reason I fell in love with the South Pacific, not only with the beauty of the islands themselves, but more fundamentally with the Fijian people. That these people should be undermined by an ever more repressive regime is not just unfair but immoral.

So where does that leave us when it comes to travel?

Well we should keep a very close eye on the situation to see how it develops and we must aware of how travel to Fiji affects local people and supports this now illegal regime. There is no evidence as yet to suggest that the current situation poses any danger to travellers so the argument is based on our desire to promote Ethical and Responsible Travel.

The Fijian Dollar has been devalued by the puppet Reserve Bank Governor precisely to promote tourism which is the major source of foreign currency income in the country and has suffered greatly over the last few years.

My suggestion is this; visiting Fiji is certainly not any more dangerous now then it was before the coup and I am not convinced that tourist should be discouraged from visiting. However I would strongly suggest that tourists and independent travellers consider how they spend their dollars when they visit. It is the Fijian people who require our ongoing support and in Fiji this is not too difficult to do without directing the bulk of your ‘tourist dollars’, the way of the government.

Buy local and stay local, both very easy to achieve in Fiji. I would advise against staying in the big international resorts and hotels which ‘feed’ into the government coffers. These big businesses are often not owned by Fijians and import much of the produce they use; besides they hardly give you the authentic Fijian experience, you’re more likely to get that at a Hawaiian night in Malaga….

My memories of Fiji and of the Christmas we spent in a village there are cherished. We were invited to join in their local celebrations and experience a lovo (feast prepared in an underground ‘oven’) which would never have happened in a five star hotel. The meagre cost of that experience went straight into local pockets.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Ethical & Responsible Travel alongside sessions on Transport Options, Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Ethical travel is always at the discretion of the individual and we never dictate where we think people should and shouldn’t travel; those are decisions independent travellers need to make for themselves. We feel that our role is to provide a balanced view, suitable information and our unbiased opinion in order for others to have the relevant information to make those decisions for themselves.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Thailand in turmoil as protestors rise against PM / Thai riot deaths

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Title – Thailand in turmoil as protestors rise against PM / Thai riot deathsSource – The Independent / Metro
Date – 14th April 2009 / 13th April 2009

Is Thailand on the brink of civil war?

I don’t think so, but there is no doubt it has some serious problems that are far from being resolved and full-blown intervention from the army is still a distinct possibility. We seem to be between protest at this particular time, but I don’t think anyone would bet against a further escalation.

Protesters be they the ‘Red Shirts’ or the ‘Yellow Shirts’ will certainly appear again and how the government deal with these protest will be crucial. It is very difficult for a Prime Minister who came to power on the back of similar disruptive and ‘expensive’ protests to subsequently quash similar protests without looking very hypocritical.

The other parameter to this whole situation is the King; revered and respected and most importantly with an army who would almost certainly act on his requests; he has yet to make any ‘contribution’.

So the question I am asked a lot is; should people travel to Thailand?

Here I tend to agree with the

FCO Advice (it is a brave man who thinks they know better than the FCO), for now it is probably better to stay away from Bangkok. People there and who travel there at the moment may tell you differently and if you stay away from protests you are probably in no more danger than usual, but there is certainly the potential for the situation to turn dramatically and quickly. The main reason for you to stay away will be the ability to leave the region or the country through Bangkok if the situation does turn. You may find yourself stranded there and there can be no guarantee that airlines will put you up while you wait to fly out. Maybe more importantly now the FCO has advised against travel to Bangkok, you may well find your travel insurance invalid while you are there.

But travel to Thailand as a whole is still very possible outside of Bangkok (and the south where there is ongoing conflict and the border region with Cambodia (Cambodia appeals over ‘imminent war’ on Thai border) where there has also been conflict). Visiting the tourist islands in the Gulf of Thailand, the Andaman Sea and the Malacca Straight and the north (Chang Mai) remains at the time of writing, relatively no more dangerous than before.

We are advising people to be aware however that their travel plans may be disrupted if the airport protests are repeated. One way of protecting against this possibility is to book flights through a different transit point than Bangkok. It is easy enough to connect to your final destination through Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia or Singapore and this mitigates the threat of airport closures in Bangkok to some degree.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Destination Advice alongside sessions on Transport Options, Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Ethical & Responsible Travel, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Choosing destination is always down to individual taste, experience and tolerance, but research into historical dangers as well as recent events is essential for any travel, no matter how much experience you have in independent travel.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Gap year students killed in crash

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Title – Gap year students killed in crash
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 19th March 2009

The tragic loss of 3 young men setting out on the adventure of a lifetime in such a terrible accident is not something any parent should have to deal with and not one I would even pretend to understand. My condolences go out to their family and friends.

This once again highlights the dangers of road travel in foreign countries and having driven on the roads in South Africa myself, I know not only how dangerous they can be, but also how the ‘rules’ vary considerably from what we are used to at home; how the speed cars drive at is astounding; how many obstacles there are to avoid (in the form of pedestrians, stray animals and general debris); and sadly how many accidents are head-on and lead to fatalities.

In the months I spent in

South Africa I sadly drove past many accidents where there had clearly been serious injury or fatalities. Several of these involved the local ‘minibus taxis’ which are usually crammed as full as they can be with passengers (as a rule of thumb count the number of seats and double it).

One of the parents assessment that these young men were just in the “wrong place at the wrong time” is probably the most accurate statement regarding this accident, sadly it does not make it any easier for them to bear.

We have recently commented on a number of tragic road accidents in this blog, which demonstrates the dangers travellers face on roads all over the world:

· Vietnam bus plunge ‘kills 10’
· Belgians die in Egypt coach crash
· Families pay tribute to Britons killed in Ecuador bus crash

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Transport Options alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Tragedies like this accident happen in every part of the world but I don’t believe there is a country in the world where the level of road traffic accidents should put us off travelling. There are however considerations and judgements we should make in regard to our transport options, to reduce the inherent risks they present.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Vietnam bus plunge ‘kills 10’

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Title – Vietnam bus plunge ‘kills 10’
Source – http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Date – 14th March 2009

Yet another story which demonstrates the road safety issues at some of the world’s popular destinations for independent travellers, we have commented on a number of these over the past year from Ecuador, to Egypt and now Vietnam:

·

Belgians die in Egypt coach crash
· Families pay tribute to Britons killed in Ecuador bus crash

Vietnam is another of the destinations where fatalities from road traffic accidents are high, with over 12,000 a year, it is an issue for independent travellers when they travel.

Unfortunately these types of accident are not always avoidable as the number of factors involved which are out of the control of the traveller themselves is high; but even if we can learn to reduce those few risks which we can control, it can improve our odds considerably.

This incident in Vietnam and these fatality figures don’t include the number of near misses which can have a dramatic effect on travellers. In our own experience we know of one such first time traveller who was involved in a bus crash in Vietnam where the bus ended up hanging over the side of a bridge; the passengers fortunately managed to escape out of the back window before help was summoned. It was an experience which ruined a trip and led to the individual returning home before their scheduled return.

It is a sad fact that many travellers do find a traumatic experience like this is enough to call and end to a trip and often that is the right decision at the time, as a loss of confidence can result in further problems; besides if the positives don’t outweigh the negatives then there is little point to the travel. The key is not to let it ruin future travel and we are pleased to note our friend has subsequently travelled independently and continues to travel to this day.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Transport Options alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Tragedies like this accident happen in every part of the world but I don’t believe there is a country in the world where the level of road traffic accidents should put us off travelling. There are however considerations and judgements we should make in regard to our transport options, to reduce the inherent risks they present.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Airlines’ limit on liquid in hand luggage to be lifted

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Title – Airlines’ limit on liquid in hand luggage to be liftedSource – The Times
Date – 12th March 2009

It has yet to happen, but it does seem like the limit on liquid being taken onto flights will soon be lifted; or at least selectively lifted.

However we would still advise that you prepare your luggage and pack with the existing limitations in mind. It seems that at first there will be trials followed by a roll-out of the new machines which can detect those liquids which pose a risk to flights. But at £100,000 a machine the balance between the cost of installation and the additional cost of security at airports (not all of which will be cut back on thanks to these machines) will be difficult to balance.

The key to remember is that although we would imagine that Heathrow will be one of the first to install these machines, the airports you are flying into are less likely to have the machinery installed soon. This means that it is important that you plan not just for your flight out, but also for your return flight; take vessels for your liquids which you can use in both directions.

The best advice is to make sure you pack all your liquids in your hold luggage to avoid all possible problems. Remember also that the restrictions on knives, nail clippers, scissors and other ‘sharps’ will remain in place.

At

Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Transport Options alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Packing your bags should be done not just with your outward journey in mind but rather considering every journey you will be making on your travels. The way to pack for a flight is very different to the way you should pack for a 10 hour bus ride through the backbone of India, are very different.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Just how cheap are those no-frills flights once the hidden extras are taken on board?

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Title – Just how cheap are those no-frills flights once the hidden extras are taken on board?Source – The Independent
Date – 8th March 2009

I recently commented on this blog about

Ryanair threatening to charge for the use of toilets on it’s flights and I then came across this article highlighting the ‘real’ costs of ‘budget flights’.

Before we look at all the add-ons to the advertised cost of these flights I should point out that with the advent of the ‘budget airline’ the options for the independent traveller have substantially increased and they continue to grow. The launch of an Air Asia service from Stansted to Kuala Lumpur and beyond have added a whole new dimension to the possibilities for independent travel.

Traditional travel agents who always used to be the best option for multi-stop long-haul flights, now have real competition. Anyone wishing to take a trip to South East Asia or even Australia can find cheaper alternatives on-line. But be warned there are positive and negative sides to this change.

But back to the short-haul budget flights….

The table in this article gives you some idea of the extras; but be warned they are likely to continue changing on a regular basis, so make sure you check all the booking conditions before you hand over your credit card (yes there is a charge for that too…)

Remember also to factor in all the other costs as well. It is all very well getting a cheaper flight with a low cost airline, but make sure the airport they are flying from and to do not mean that the increase in cost of getting to / from (or parking at) the airport outweigh the benefits; make sure you clear the cookies on your computer before you book (yes they track your activity and it can increase the cost); take your own food and drink as it saves buying overpriced food and drink on board and it will taste better; make sure you book as early as possible as this will generally make it cheaper (I even know of people who book multiple flights many months in advance as they are unsure of their dates, but know that even if they discard most of their flights in the end it will still be cheaper then booking at the last minute.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Transport Options alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. The options for the Independent Traveller seem to get greater and greater each and every year, but it is almost getting to the point where the options are so great that it has become confusing and getting the best deals means a lot of research or finding someone you can really trust; many will claim to offer you the best and ‘only’ option, but this is rarely the case. We can help you reduce the number of options you need to investigate and direct you to those which will best suit your plans.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Nation of swimmers shuns the sea as fresh shark attack confirms a gathering menace / Are shark attacks on the rise and can anything be done about them

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Title – 1. Nation of swimmers shuns the sea as fresh shark attack confirms a gathering menace / 2. Are shark attacks on the rise and can anything be done about them?
Source – The Times / The Independent
Date – 2nd March 2009 / 3rd March 2009

I certainly don’t want to add to any slight hysteria there may be as a result of Australia’s recent spate of shark attacks and I have defended the risks before in this blog; see:

I tried to gouge its eyes: surfer battles to drag girl from jaws of 16ft shark

Obviously there is no upside to any attack, but if some of the indicators are correct and the increase in shark numbers are due to an improvement in water quality and thus the increase in the number of small fish which the sharks prey on; then at least there is a positive twist in all of this.

The overwhelming danger to swimmers in Australia is not the shark or even the salt water crocodile, but rather drowning; which accounts for several hundred times more fatalities then shark attacks.

I’m not trivialising these attacks as clearly they are devastating for those involved and their families, but we need to keep a clear head about the probability of a shark attack. The point is that fatalities from shark attack have not dramatically increased and remain at around 1 fatality per year in Australia; still below the number of fatalities from domesticated animals…

What is interesting and important to take from this article is the steps you can take to reduce the risks. Firstly know that very few of the 400 species of shark are actually known to be dangerous to humans; those which are worth worrying about are the Bull Shark, Tiger Shark, Oceanic White Tip and the infamous Great White. There are a few others worth giving a wide berth to and don’t forget that different countries give these sharks different names; for example the Australians refer to the Great White as a White Pointer and the Bull Shark as a Bull Whaler (or a Zambezi Shark in Africa). As an experienced diver, these are the four which would get me out of the water. The reason I fear them is that they are generally very aggressive sharks and tend to bite in order to taste you…

As a diver you are not an attractive prospect for any shark, so it is as a swimmer that I take most care and when swimming it is the Bull shark that I consider the highest risk. They have a tendency to come into shallow water, ‘dirty’ water and can live in brackish water. This ability to live in brackish water means they frequent coastlines, estuaries, entrances to rivers and mangrove swamps which they share with swimmers and sport fishermen; making contact inevitable. Bull shark attacks have taken place in muddy, murky waist-high water without the victims ever knowing they were in any danger.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety alongside sessions on Transport Options, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Sharks should not keep independent travellers out of the water, they just need to take certain risk avoidance measures and seek local advice on ‘safe’ places to swim. There is nothing better when travelling in the tropics then a cool dip in the sea or snorkelling and seeing the amazing marine life; sharks should not ruin that they should enhance it.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.