Blue Shark Attacks Swimmer, Bites His Foot At Spanish Beach

The swimmer eventually made his way out of the water and rushed to the medics

A man has recounted the terrifying moment when he was attacked by a shark on a Spanish beach, the Independent reported. 

The incident happened on August 17 when a blue shark attacked the man when he was swimming on Rabdells Beach, which is located in the Oliva municipality, south of Valencia on the eastern coast of mainland Spain. The man was enjoying a dip on the Aigua Blanca beach in Oliva when he noticed a lurking shadow.

Within seconds, a blue shark lashed out and went for him, sinking its teeth into his foot. According to local media, the shark collided with the man at Rabdells Beach and bit his foot – causing the section of the sea to “turn red”.

He told a local news outlet Las Provincias, ”I didn’t have time to get scared. Noticing that blood was coming out of me, I went into the sea so as not to alarm everyone.” According to experts, the shark had become “disoriented” as it navigated the coastal area before biting the man’s foot.

Jaime Penades, a marine biologist, told the Majorca Daily Bulletin, ”These species don’t want anything from us, they are looking for fish, not people.” This is the first shark attack in Valencia since 2016 and the attack before then was in 1993.

The swimmer eventually made his way out of the water and rushed to the medics for treatment. Medics then referred the man to the Oliva Health Centre due to the severity of the injury, where he was treated and given a tetanus jab. 

In the aftermath of the incident, Oliva Town Council closed the beaches of Rabdells, Aigua Blanca, and Aigua Mota as a preventive measure due to the presence of the blue shark in the water.

However, they were reopened the following day after the Guardia Civil was certain that there was no longer a threat posed by any animal in the water.

Notably, Spain has seen several sightings of the species over the summer, sparking panic among swimmers.