A 'LOST' shark was caught on camera off a Benidorm beach and marine vets from Valencia's Oceanogràfic were called out to rescue her.
Sunseekers on the Playa Poniente, to the south of the Costa Blanca holiday capital, panicked when they saw the ominous-looking fin slicing slowly through the sea just metres from where they were catching the rays at around 11.30 this morning (Thursday).
But the Prionace Glauca, or 'blue shark', is no threat to humans, experts assure – they live on very small fish and crustaceans, and meeting one in the water does not tend to end badly.
In fact, some theme parks organise supervised 'swimming-with-sharks' sessions, using this species in particular, as they do not attack people.
This said, they probably would if a human placed them under threat – but this is true of most wildlife on land or in water.
Local Police were first on the scene – roughly level with the Avenida Vicente Llorca Alós – and they summoned Benidorm lifeguard and coastguard services.
Staff from the Oceanogràfic – Europe's largest aquarium, where creatures live in environments carefully designed to match their natural habitats so they are unaware they are in captivity – also attended.
They are generally called out to help sea creatures in distress, such as dolphins, whales and turtles, and the latter are often taken back to Valencia to be treated for injuries and then released into the wild again once they are fully fit.
This time, the Oceanogràfic specialists say the shark had become 'lost', had wandered off from her usual habitat and appeared 'disoriented'.
They took several hours to capture the shark – a delicate operation, so as not to cause her undue distress – and to return her to where she belongs, far out to sea in an area where she would feel 'at home' and be able to find food.
Benidorm yacht club lent boats to help in the rescue.
Oceanogràfic personnel identified the shark as a female, about 2.5 metres (just over eight feet) long and weighing around 80 kilos (12st 8lb).
She was very much out of her comfort zone, swimming in waters of barely 30 centimetres (a foot) deep.
The part of the beach where the shark was found had to be cordoned off – not so much to protect the humans as to stop the creature from being disturbed and becoming frightened.
Vets at the Oceanogràfic checked her over for injuries, found none, and carried out a blood test, which confirmed their initial thoughts that she was in good health – just lost.
Although not a frequent sighting off the western Mediterranean shores, blue sharks are not out of place in the area – the Med, along with tropical and temperate seas and oceans in general, is their natural stamping ground, even if they do not often approach the coast.
“When a creature that normally lives out to sea gets so close to the shore, it is usually because they are ill or injured, so it's crucial to check them over and decide the best course of action,” says head of conservation at the Oceanogràfic, José Luis Crespo.
Blue sharks are an endangered species, and appear on the International Nature Conservation Union's 'critical' list.
Anyone on a beach who spots a sea creature in difficulties should call the freephone emergency 112 hotline – where several languages are spoken upon request – and the set procedures in place for their rescue will be followed by experts in marine fauna.
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