Kategorie: News
…several have been detained for weeks
An economic drama has been unfolding in the Red Sea since the beginning of June. Unnoticed by the general public, 13 safari vessels are being held in port. There are no charges, no case number, and apparently no one willing to make a decision on the matter. The main parties involved are the Ministry of Tourism and, of course, the CDWS, as this concerns tourist vessels in the Red Sea!
The vessels involved are: the Heckler, the Eclipse and the Hermes – all three of which appear to have a special role to play. The other vessels are: the Pegasus, the Avo, the Emperor Superior, the Omneia Spirit, the Aldebaran, the Silki, the Lyra, the Sunshine, the Red Sea One and a boat from Sharm el-Sheikh.
What happened there? Through discussions with various ship owners and guests, and based on information from the relevant authorities, we have outlined the sequence of events in this drama.
In the following paragraphs, you can read the exact sequence of events and what consequences this has for those involved!
The drama unfolds
The evening of 3 June: Most of the boats were moored off the island of Gubal Soraya. The island is quite well known and very popular in safari circles. For decades, safari boats have been heading for Klein Gubal to spend a lovely evening: enjoying a sundowner on the beach, watching the sunset or simply taking a stroll on the sandy island. On this evening, too, guests from some of the affected yachts were on Gubal Soraya to enjoy a cosy evening. Other yachts were simply anchored off the island; their guests were already asleep when something unexpected happened…
To reiterate: Klein Gubal (Gubal Soraya) is an island that has been used by tourist boats – as described – for decades. As it is a maritime area, the region is under official administration and rules apply: these were presumably never breached, given that the use of the area had been tolerated for so long. That was the status quo on the afternoon and evening of 3 June on the island of Gubal Soraya.
On the neighbouring island of Geisum, the situation on 3 June was different. A rather raucous party was taking place. Rumour has it that guests from the Heckler, the Eclipse and the Hermes were among those attending the party. From Gubal Soraya, Bengal fires and relatively loud music could be seen and heard. Video footage also shows that maritime distress signals were set off as a sort of ‘substitute for fireworks’. Rumours also suggest that drugs were part of the celebrations on Geisum. It seems that the official regulations were quite clearly breached here!
Later that evening, officials arrived and brought the party on Geisum Island to an end, AND inspected all vessels in the vicinity, including those anchored off Gubal Soraya. Even vessels off the island of Tawila, which is somewhat further away, were affected by the checks and the subsequent measures.
The checks involved all vessel documents being confiscated and the passenger lists being scrutinised by armed officials. A huge ‘surprise’ for the safari boats off Gubal Soraya, to put it mildly. Some passengers describe the period of the checks as quite frightening. On a vessel anchored off Geisum, a considerable quantity of drugs was found, as we have learnt from informed sources within one of the authorities involved.
What happens now?
Since the evening of 3 June, all the ships mentioned have been ‘detained’ in the harbour: with their actual status, they are of course not permitted to set sail! There is no case number, there are no charges; there is only the detention of the ships, the confiscated documents and threats of penalties (without any further explanation). It should be noted that all the vessels mentioned are affected, including those moored off Gubal Soraya and off Tawila – all of which had nothing to do with the party at Geisum. This actually became clear following the on-site inspection by the authorities.
Since 3 June, the owners of all the affected boats have been summoned regularly by the authorities, but the case is not really being taken forward. Vague demands are being made without any formal charges, and the status of the vessels remains the same: SEIZED!
An economic disaster
For the vessel owners, this is an economic disaster. Their own vessels are seized and booked guests have to be rebooked onto other vessels. A total loss of income, coupled with the uncertainty of what is likely to happen!
Allegedly, the CDWS has been involved for weeks; the CDWS’s statement is: ‘We have done everything humanly possible...’ However, there are no (tangible) results, nor even any information to suggest that anything is moving forward. The tourism authority is keeping quiet; the CDWS is also not releasing any information regarding this incident. The safari boat owners are facing a huge problem with no prospects in sight.
The owners and crews of the vessels that were moored off Gubal Soraya and off Tawila can prove they did not take part in the party on Geisum. Yet the vessels remain grounded without any further explanation. A solution is not in sight; on the contrary – vague demands are being made without any formal charges. At the same time, there is a complete loss of revenue due to the detention, not to mention the damage to reputation caused by the ban.
There are, of course, dissatisfied guests who, due to the current situation, have to be rebooked onto other vessels and cannot check in on the vessel they originally wanted and booked. An absolute disaster for everyone involved. Is this now the next step towards permanently disrupting diving tourism in Egypt? This madness seems to be systematic, and at this point one can only urge the authorities involved to finally bring the case to a close. Or is arbitrary official behaviour prevailing? And all this with total economic ruin for everyone who had the misfortune to be anchored off the islands of Gubal Soraya and Tawila on 3 June.