A blue shark measuring between two and three metres in length led to the closure of the Arenal d’en Castell beach in the municipality of Es Mercadal in Menorca on Monday afternoon.
The blue shark, also known as blue shark or prionace glauca, was spotted and filmed from the shore at around 3.30pm as swam around the bay going from one side to the other.
The lifeguards, who have been operating on this beach since Wednesday, May 1, immediately alerted the 112 emergency service and at the same time hoisted the red flag, closing the beach to swimmers.
The blue shark is a species of shark that inhabits the deep, temperate waters of oceans around the world.
Easily identifiable by its long, slender body and deep blue colouring, the blue shark is one of the most widely distributed shark species on the planet.
What to do if you see a blue shark
One of the main reasons why a blue shark (Prionace glauca) ends up entering a beach is because it is looking for food or is injured, according to the Balearic environmental group GOB.
The environmental organisation recommends that the first thing to do if there is a blue shark is the sea is to get out of the water, call 112 to report the situation, and GOB insists that people should never approach the animal and leave alone touch it as this could cause it stress, which could cause its death if it is injured, or if it has an aggressive reaction when it feels threatened, and continue to feed the bad reputation that sharks have.
GOB says that blue sharks are a critically endangered species in the Mediterranean, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and their role, as one of the largest predators, “is fundamental for the balance of our sea”.
GOB also stresses the importance of passive and distant observation of nature as a whole, and of avoiding disturbing, touching or feeding the animals, much less those in their natural habitat, as they can become stressed and in many cases end up dying.