Lifeguards ordered everyone out of the water in Playa de Palma on Thursday morning after what was at first thought to have been a blue shark spotted in shallow waters, it has since been confirmed that is was a dolphin.
That said, people on the beach noticed a strange fin coming closer and closer to the shore and many of the bathers in the area ran out of the sea.
The dolphin reached the shore, where it remained for several minutes as scores of people looked on from a safe distance.
As a precaution, lifeguards quickly cleared the area.
Fortunately, it seems to have been just a scare, as there is no record of any major incidents at the moment.
Blue sharks can get up to 13 feet in length but generally are closer to 10 feet long. They have a deep blue colour dorsally, which fades to light blue on the sides and white on the belly. They have slender bodies with large eyes and a cone shaped snout.
It is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Although generally lethargic, they can move very quickly. Blue sharks are viviparous and are noted for large litters of 25 to over 100 pups.