Shark spotted swimming just yards from popular Spanish tourist beach
A shark caused panic among a group on a packed Spanish beach after coming near to the shoreline as they were swimming.
Tourists and locals made it to the safety of the sand before taking videos of the big fish gliding through the turquoise blue water.
But despite being inches from the near-ten foot creature, they had no need to worry – it was later identified as a harmless basking shark, which is an endangered species.
The drama happened Monday evening at Porto de Bares beach near the town of Manon, La Coruna.
Local mayor Alfredo Dovale said he couldn’t remember seeing a shark of its type so close to the shoreline and said he thought it was related to the higher water temperatures.
He added: ‘With the way it was moving, it looked disorientated or even ill.’
In June, tourists at Melenara Beach on the Gran Canaria’s east coast were urged to stay away from the sea after a police drone spotted a hammerhead shark.
The sighting was the second one in just two days and came after the beach was deemed safe enough to reopen to the public.
Those on neighbouring Salinetas beach were also ordered out of the water.
It comes after a shark terrorised bathers at Melenara beach around 5pm on Saturday and led to the first of the beach closures.
Young girls could be heard screaming as the shark approached the shoreline at speed with its fin sticking out of the water.
In May coastguards hoisted the red flag and called the Spanish equivalent of 999 after the tell-tale fin of a seven foot blue shark or tintorera was seen above the water line at the popular Menorcan beach of Arenal d’en Castell.
The following month holiday beaches in Gran Canaria were closed after a hammerhead shark was spotted near the shoreline.
Most hammerhead species are considered harmless to humans and few attacks have been recorded, but they are aggressive hunters and their size and fierceness make them potentially harmful.
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