The municipality said on Twitter that the beaches where swimming restrictions apply are La Fragata, La Ribera, La Bassa Rodona and Lestanuel. According to the protocol, a red flag was raised on the beaches. The city council is closely monitoring the situation.
A species of shark, the shortfin mako or mako shark, is the fastest in the world and can swim up to 70 kilometers per hour. The length of the animal can range from 3.5 to 4 meters, although this specimen is “only” 2.5 meters in length. In the Mediterranean region, the species is classified as endangered.
Mako sharks can sometimes be aggressive towards people, VTM NIEUWS science expert Martijn Peters knows. “It is one of the few shark species in the world known to attack humans, but such attacks are very rare and not always fatal,” he explains.
The shark was first spotted off the coast of Barcelona on July 3. Divers photographed the discovery near the village of Graf during an expedition of the Cetàcea Association, which monitors marine animals along the Catalan coast. According to the organization, this is the first time in ten years that a shortfin mako shark has been spotted in the area.
