Brits banned from going into the sea at holiday hotspot after shark spotted in water
Holidaymakers have been warned to avoid the sea at tourist hotspot favoured its beaches after a shark was spotted in the water.
Spain’s coastguard hoisted the red flag indicating danger after the tell-tale fin of a seven-foot blue shark was spotted off Arenal d’en Castell beach in Menorca.
Britons account for a quarter of visitors to Menorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands favoured for their shallow blue waters and yellow sandy beaches.
The Mediterranean islands hosted more than 14 million foreign tourists last year, many of them from the UK.
But their plans for a beach getaway in more than 20-degree heat could be scuppered after the alarm was raised around 3.30pm on Monday.
It’s not the first time a passing shark has closed the beaches to bathers here, but it is believed to be the first this year.
They’ve caused beach closures and chaos in the past, sparking screams among tourists when one was spotted in the surf five years ago.
Although blue sharks are not generally aggressive and rarely bite humans, their curiosity can lead to close and potentially dangerous encounters with humans.
The results are sometimes fatal.
One 40-year-old holidaymaker left the sea with blood streaming from a ‘large’ bite mark after a shark attack in Elche near Alicante in July 2016.
The attack was blamed on a blue shark, one of the most common species in Spain.
Another blue shark unleashed panic among bathers who tried to run through was-high water to safety off the Orihuela Costa south of Alicante.
Lifeguards blew whistles to warn beachgoers out of the water as quickly as possible as it approached the shoreline off Aguamarina’s Costa Blanca beach.
One elderly woman suffered a panic attack after realising the shark was right beside her as she was helped from the water.
The shark washed up dead on rocks at La Caleta Beach in Cabo Roig a couple of miles away the following day.
Arenal d’en Castell’s bathing ban is thought to have now been lifted, but the local council has not made an official comment and swimmers are advised to remain vigilant.
The Foreign Offices advises Britons visiting Spain: ‘Many beaches have a flag system.
‘Make sure you understand the system and follow any warnings – a red flag means you must not enter the water.
‘Take extra care and get local knowledge if there are no lifeguards, flags or signs.’
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