New challenge has police chasing tourists in Marbella: a dip in the Puerto Banús fountain

The social reward that comes with doing a challenge in a public environment creates the ideal breeding ground for young people to follow social media trends that circulate on TikTok and Instagram. This is also the reason behind the series of calls to the police in the past few weeks reporting that people have been taking a dip in the fountain at the entrance to Puerto Banús marina.

The illegal 'bath' usually takes place after midnight and at weekends. Young people, mostly foreigners, are seen recording themselves while entering the waters of the fountain, before the eyes of workers and passersby in the area. After that, they share the videos on social media.

Although this trend is not as dangerous as, for example, what became known in Spain as 'balconing' (jumping from a balcony into a swimming pool), which became a widespread practice in the Balearic Islands years ago and which has claimed many lives, it is a direct violation of the rules of citizen coexistence set out in the municipal regulation.

Even though such acts can lead to sanctions of up to 600 euros, the fine rarely reaches the perpetrators due to their address being abroad. In addition, the union of local administration of employees (SEAL) says that there is not enough staff at night and at weekends.

According to the American academy of paediatrics, social media rewards outrageous behaviour. The more outrageous it is, the more it can be bragged about and the more 'likes' it gets. The digital environment undoubtedly makes it tempting for adolescents to act without thinking about the consequences of their actions, which is further compounded by a festive environment where, in most cases, alcohol is consumed.

According to a study funded by TikTok, 21% of 13-19-year-olds have participated in online challenges (14% of respondents were 13-15 years old and 9% were 18-19 years old) and 2% say they have done challenges that they themselves consider dangerous.