Are there Great White sharks off Granada's Costa Tropical?

The Great White shark remains the most feared predator in the ocean. While its presence in the Mediterranean is infrequent, the accidental capture of a specimen off Alicante in 2023 sparked fresh alarm about whether these apex predators are patrolling the waters of Andalucía.

AHowever, a recent study by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) provides a reassuring perspective.

According to researcher José Carlos Báez, while sharks do inhabit Andalusian waters, they are effectively absent from the Granada coastline.

There have been only six recorded sightings of Great Whites between Almería and Huelva in the last 160 years - none of which occurred in Granada.

Báez explains that the likelihood of spotting a great white shark in the Mediterranean is "very low" but that they do use the Strait of Gibraltar as a passageway on their migratory journeys. Recent attacks by these sharks on sea turtles confirm their presence. "They are the only ones with the strength to break a shell," says the expert.

Do they attack people?

It is very rare for such a shark to come close to shore. The main reason is that they "need to swim constantly" explains the researcher. If they get close to the shore, they could get stranded on the sand and suffocate.

For this reason, Baez says that "it is very rare for a shark attack to happen" and adds that it only happens to people who go deep into the sea, like surfers or windsurfers.

In Spain encounters with great white sharks are practically non-existent, but not non-existent. "In 1862 there was an attack in Malaga and another in Tarifa in 1982," says the researcher.

Other species of the Costa Tropical

While there are no great whites in Granada, there are other types of sharks, for example the blue shark, which come very close to the shore in Salobreña. They use the currents to access feeding grounds. José Carlos affirms that, although their presence is quite common, "they are harmless".

Another animal that is easy to spot in the sea off the Costa Tropical is the basking shark. They can be look very imposing, reaching over ten metres in length and it is possible to see them on one of their migrations from the UK to the Mediterranean. The researcher explains that they come very close to the coast, so they are frequently seen. They feed on plankton or small organisms in the water and are not a danger to humans.

There is a great biodiversity on the Costa Tropical, with many species that nourish the beautiful seascapes. There is no danger for bathers of being attacked by a great white shark, but José Carlos Báez does note: "A jellyfish or a spider fish is much more dangerous than a shark."