A large shark has been filmed in the waters off Majorca weeks after a great white was captured in Spanish seas. The Majorca Daily Bulletin is reporting today that the « shark of considerable size caused a fright » on Friday during a regatta in Palma Bay.
One of the sailors captured footage of the shark appearing to swim peacefully as numerous sailing boats participated in the event close to the shoreline. The Majorca Daily News reports: « Although rare, sightings of this kind can occur at certain times of the year in Balearic waters. »
In the video clip, it is not instantly clear precisely what species of shark it is. Shark specialist Juan Poyatos told Majorca Daily News that it seemed to be a mako shark, which is characterised by the BBC as an « ocean going predator » and « a supreme hunter » which « hunts some of the fastest fish in the sea and has evolved to be even faster ».
Aniol Esteban, director of the Marilles Foundation, told Majorca Daily News: « It is very difficult to identify with certainty, but everything points to it being from the family Lamnidae. These include the mako, the great white shark and the porbeagle, which, incidentally, is the species that was observed in Cabrera in 2018. »
The BBC states of the mako shark: « This ocean-going predator is a supreme hunter. It hunts some of the fastest fish in the sea, and has evolved to be even faster. They can sprint at 30 mph but no one really knows how fast they can go. But one thing is for sure; this shark was built for speed. To ensure a meal, the mako shark implements certain tactics when hunting. It will often attack and bite off the tail of its prey so that it can’t swim away, and the shark doesn’t have to waste any more energy chasing it. It will also vigorously defend its kill from other predators, as they can’t afford to not eat. »
Back in February, it was revealed that scientists believe great white sharks may be breeding in the Mediterranean once more, after a juvenile was discovered by fishermen off the eastern coastline of Spain. The shark measured approximately 210cm and weighed between 80-90kg. The species had previously been considered to have vanished from the Mediterranean. Dr José Carlos Báez commented at the time: « The occurrence of juvenile specimens raises the question whether active reproduction may be occurring in the region. »
Nevertheless, researchers noted that such sightings remain exceptional events, The Mirror reports, and that the species was scarce in the area, though another individual was accidentally caught in 2023.
Juan Poyatos informed Majorca Daily News: « All these species have suffered a sharp decline in the Mediterranean and some are on the brink of extinction, so their presence is always good news, even if not everyone sees it that way. A sea with sharks is a healthy sea. And right now, the Mediterranean and the Balearic Sea have lost the vast majority of them. »
Source link
