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Spanish marine biologists assure tourists there is nothing to fear from recent shark sightings
Several British newspapers have issued warnings to holidaymakers after sharks were spotted near beaches in Spain
Ocean experts in Spain have railed against recent reports in the British press that the number of sharks frequenting the coasts has increased dramatically and dismissed warnings from some outlets that UK tourists should be careful when swimming at Spanish beaches this summer.
In recent weeks several sharks have been seen in different parts of the Spanish coast: Alicante, Mallorca, Menorca and Galicia. But the vital point is that they all belong to a species that does not really pose a threat to humans.
Why are we seeing so many sharks on Spanish beaches?
Many shark species call the coasts of the Iberian peninsula their home so sightings are nothing new, but record numbers of tourists are flocking to Spain already this year and more bodies on the beaches means more photos and videos on social media.
On the other hand, what is unusual is for these normally elusive creatures to swim so close to the packed shorelines, and José Carlos García Gómez, professor of marine biology at the University of Seville, believes the answer could lie with climate change.
Higher sea temperatures and a change in ocean currents, known as the ‘subtropicalisation process’ is taking place in the waters of the North Atlantic, and this alters the migratory movements of many marine species, including sharks.
"It may be that they can't find food and therefore they approach coastal areas of the high seas," he explained, or that they simply drift towards land when they are injured or sick, as was the recent case of the blue shark close encounter in Orihuela Costa.
The sharks don’t pose a threat to humans
The overarching point the experts want to get across is that the species of shark that have been frequenting the Spanish coasts – namely blue and cow sharks – should not be feared, since they pose very little threat to people.
According to the International Shark Attack File, since 1847 only six shark attacks have been recorded in Spain and none of these were fatal. In fact, the same experts claim a person is “more likely to die from a coconut falling on your head or from a bee sting, than from a shark bite."
"It is true that there are cases in which bathers have been bitten, but it is because the shark gets confused and thinks we are one of its prey," García Gómez added. We are not a preferred food source for these sharks, he explained, and most bites tend to be exploratory: essentially, once they realise our blood tastes different to their normal prey, they swim away.
What to do if you encounter a shark
In the unlikely event that you do come face to face with a shark in the open water, the biologists all agree that the most important thing is to remain calm and avoid splashing about, as this could draw the animal closer out of curiosity.
"A shark is like a dog, it knows if you are afraid of it, so you have to stay still, make soft movements and even look at it," says the professor. "You never have to flee, you can even swim towards it, blow bubbles or make a loud sound underwater; the shark will thus identify that we are not one of the prey it is looking for," he concluded.
Images: International Shark Attack File
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