A shark of considerable size caused a fright on Friday during the regatta in Palma Bay. Jacopo Renna, one of the sailors, managed to capture the shark in action, swimming calmly amongst the competitors. The unexpected visitor caused no incidents. Although rare, sightings of this kind can occur at certain times of the year in Balearic waters, adding an element that is as unusual as it is fascinating to the sporting event.
In the images captured by Renna, it can be seen that this is a large shark, whose characteristics could indicate that it isa mako shark, according to shark expert, Juan Poyatos. Aniol Esteban, director of the Marilles Foundation, has also suggested that it could be this specific species. “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 researcher stressed that “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.” He adds that “a sea with sharks is a healthy sea. And right now, the Mediterranean and the Balearic Sea have lost the vast majority of them.” For this reason, he stresses that “the Shark and Ray Conservation Plan announced by the regional government is of particular importance”.
These species have long, sharp teeth, adapted for catching fast prey, and are protected in several regions due to the threat posed by fishing. Porbeagle sharks are commonly found in Balearic waters, although sightings near the coast are rare.
Last month, researchers from the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (IEO-CSIC), in collaboration with the University of Cádiz (UCA), documented a new confirmed record of a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in Spanish Mediterranean waters. The finding published in the scientific journal Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria, provided new data on the distribution of this emblematic species, which is classified as vulnerable in the western Mediterranean.
The record corresponded to a juvenile specimen approximately two metres in length, accidentally caught in April 2023 within the Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone. The identification of the species was confirmed by genetic analysis, making this finding one of the few verified records of great white sharks in Spanish waters in recent decades.
‘The origin of this work lies in the documentation of an accidental catch that we learned about thanks to the close collaboration we have maintained for years with the fishing sector,’ explained José Carlos Báez, a researcher at the IEO-CSIC and lead author of the study. ‘Without this cooperation, it would be impossible to know about and scientifically contextualise such exceptional records,’ he added.
The white shark plays a fundamental role in the functioning of marine ecosystems. ‘Large marine predators play a key role in the balance of the ocean. As highly migratory species, they connect different regions and contribute to the good health of the marine environment,’ concluded Báez. The study highlights the importance of continuing to develop monitoring and conservation programmes to improve knowledge of this species in the Mediterranean and move towards management based on scientific evidence.