On 17 August, a man was lightly injured while bathing in front of Aguas Blancas beach in Oliva (Valencia). He was standing in knee-deep water when he felt a bump on his left leg and a bite on his right foot. The injured man calmly left the sea and sought medical attention.
Minor injury, quick response
The wound was assessed as a bite from a blue shark; antibiotics were sufficient, and stitches were not required. The town imposed a precautionary bathing ban on Aguas Blancas and two other beaches, monitored the coastal waters, and reopened the following day.
Rare events – context for bathers
Bites by blue sharks are rare on Spain’s Mediterranean coast; previous cases were reported in 2016 (Elche) and 1993 (Malvarrosa). Comparable incidents occurred in 2018 in Ireland (during sport fishing, provoked) and Italy. The affected individual announced that he would return to the sea after healing.
“If you let fear guide you, you’re lost,” the swimmer told the regional newspaper.
