Terrified holidaymakers fled from the sea when a shark was seen prowling through the shallows of a Mediterranean beach.
The horrifying moment was recorded in images showing the two-metre- (6.5-foot-) long ocean predator cruising through thigh-high waters in Villasimius, in Sardinia, Italy on 27th July.
Luckily for horrified beach users the ocean killer – believed to be a blue shark – was spotted lurking in a non-swimming area of the coastline marked off by buoys.
Swimmers on the other side of the marker reportedly fled from the water to watch the shark from the safety of the beach.
One witness told local media: “Many of the children were curious, others terrified.”
The new sighting came after a series of shark alerts across Europe this summer which some say have been triggered by global warming.
But local media dismissed concerns that the shark’s appearance was a worrying development caused by climate change.
They claim its presence in the Mediterranean Sea is proof of high water quality.
It is believed that the blue sharks – which feed mainly on plankton and other small prey – occasionally come very close to the shore to search for food.
Netizens were astonished when the snaps emerged on social media.
‘Gabriele Bortolami’ said: “Children should consider themselves lucky to see such a spectacle of nature!”
‘Claudia Alongi’ added: “What an occasion – the fish are in their own world we are the strangers.”
‘Puma Francesca’ commented: “How wonderful – lucky to be able to see it.”
And ‘Pierluigi Shrivastava’ joked: “It is a harmless sea trout.”
Blue sharks reportedly only attack when frightened but have been identified as killers in several ocean deaths.
Beachgoers are advised not to swim in deep waters at night because blue sharks are believed to be more aggressive after dark.
The blue shark (Prionace glauca) usually inhabits deep waters in the world’s temperate and tropical oceans.
The shark – which can grow to 20 feet – prefers cooler waters it often migrates long distances.
Listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is among the most heavily fished sharks, often for shark fin soup.
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Story By: Thomas Hochwarter, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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