Anyone who is swimming in the sea and hears the word ‘shark’ is likely to feel uneasy. Shark researcher Agustí Torres, however, believes that the animals are not as bad as their reputation. The documentary filmmaker and photographer has published a book with his animal welfare organisation ‘Shark Med’ to shed light on the subject. He points to a table: "Here you can see how harmless sharks are compared to other animals," says Torres with conviction. Most deaths are caused by mosquitoes.
"So many people dive with sharks in the sea every day. Nothing ever happens." A shark attack is just as likely as winning the lottery. Only very few people know this because the majority of people have a false image of the animal due to media reports and horror films. "When a shark appears near the shore in Mallorca, the press makes a sensational story out of it. They report about a monster that comes to the shore to eat people. What a load of rubbish. These animals are often disorientated, seriously injured or about to die. They then come close to the shore because they can protect themselves better in shallower waters. Humans are not on their menu."
And if you do encounter a shark in the sea? "Then of course you have to be careful and stay calm. As a rule, the animal sees us as a danger and flees. But if we swim away in a hurry and panic, the shark will think we are its prey trying to escape. So never swim away quickly or let the animal out of your sight," he warns.
People's ignorance has led to sharks in the Mediterranean being severely endangered. "A study has shown that, depending on the species, 96 to 99.99 per cent of them have already disappeared." Many species were originally native to this area. These include the great white shark, the hammerhead shark and the blue shark. Overfishing and environmental pollution have meant that there are hardly any sharks left, regardless of species. However, they are essential for the marine ecosystem. Among other essential roles in keeping the balance of the whole ecosystem, sharks are scavengers and thus remove the carcasses of other animals. If not disposed of, these remains could cause serious diseases.
Shark Med has set itself the task of protecting and researching the animals as well as raising awareness among the population and fishermen. "Blue sharks can get caught in the hooks used in fishing. Instead of removing the hook, fishermen simply cut the line off. The result is that these animals end up dying in agony or dragging long strands of hooked rubbish for years."
"We are currently investigating how many and which shark species still exist around the Balearic Islands. It's not easy." The research team uses two tools: underwater baited cameras and DNA analyses. "We send water samples to a laboratory for this. Mucus, skin particles and traces of faeces make it possible to identify the animal species that have just been in the vicinity."However, we are still in the process of sample collection, so we do not have all the up-to-date results.
"Cameras allow us to find out more about the current population. We make a lot of the equipment ourselves. We have attached a camera and a laundry drum with fish bait under a surfboard. This attracts the sharks."
The technical equipment alone makes the work expensive. "We are funded by the Marilles Foundation, the Swiss Béatrice Ederer-Weber Foundation and donations. Otherwise the work would be impossible."
Torres fondly remembers his first encounter with a female blue shark. "That was my most beautiful experience in the sea," he enthuses. "She was calm and curious. She approached slowly. I was probably the first person she had seen. Sharks use their sense of touch to explore their surroundings. Similar to a cat stroking a person's legs, this shark also wanted to touch me to see what I was like. It was wonderful, we circled each other with interest. Almost as if we were dancing together."
Cooperation with TUI
Support from the tourism industry: the project is sponsored by Europe's leading tourism group Tui and its Tui Care Foundation. The initiative was founded in 2016 with the aim of supporting sustainable projects in the destinations. The foundation focuses on the potential of the tourism sector as a driver of social development, education and prosperity. The Group promotes sustainable tourism in cooperation with local people.