Authorities have banned swimming at popular Gran Canaria beaches Melenara, Salinetas, and San Agustín after spotting at least one shark near the coast. The alarm was raised on Saturday afternoon, June 15, around 5:30 pm in Telde. Lifeguards responsible for beach safety at Melenara sighted a large animal, likely a shark, in a nearby area, prompting an immediate precautionary swimming ban.

Water searches were conducted with jet skis, but it wasn’t until three hours later that the presence of the shark was confirmed just meters from the shore. On Sunday, June 16,shortly after reopening the beach, the situation repeated, leading to red flags being raised at Melenara, Salinetas, and even San Agustín.

Alerta por un tiburón de 2 metros en una playa canaria: se ha cerrado la playa y se han activado dispositivos de búsqueda con motos acuáticas para localizar al escualo 👇https://t.co/UO6aRnLvzk pic.twitter.com/r1TlUUDZsh

— La Vanguardia (@LaVanguardia) June 16, 2024

Shark Sighting Details

The first shark sighting, suspected to be a hammerhead, occurred on Saturday off the coast of Telde, causing concern among Melenara beachgoers. Local police, Civil Protection, and Pro-Activa Canarias (the lifeguard company responsible for the area) responded and observed a shark estimated to be between two to three meters long.

Police drones and lifeguards with jet skis conducted a search to locate the animal. Throughout Sunday morning, it remained unseen, leading officials to believe it had left the area. Melenara reopened for swimming at 10 am, but tranquility was short-lived as the shark’s presence was again detected three hours later, this time confirmed by drones.

It remains uncertain whether this was the same shark seen the previous day. Telde’s Beach and Public Safety departments decided to temporarily close the beaches, extending to Salinetas to prevent any incidents.

Nuevo avistamiento tiburón martillo pic.twitter.com/ZMmpj8YVDf

— Policía Local Telde (@PoliciaTelde) June 16, 2024

Continued Monitoring and Response

Throughout the day, local police, Civil Protection, and Pro-Activa worked together to monitor coastal searches. The alert heightened around 5 pm when a hammerhead shark was clearly spotted from a drone. Earlier, at 3 pm, another alarm sounded in San Bartolomé de Tirajana. A shark sighting at the Balcón de San Agustín was confirmed by Red Cross personnel, who immediately closed the beach for the day.

Despite monitoring efforts, the animal was not seen again, and it’s unclear if it was the same shark seen in Telde. San Bartolomé de Tirajana’s City Council assures beach safety and plans to reopen on Monday, June 17, under normal conditions, urging the public not to panic or overreact, as shark sightings are common in summer.

Avistamiento de escualo.
La unidad de drones vigila el litoral. pic.twitter.com/O9RIP5hF0V

— Policía Local Telde (@PoliciaTelde) June 16, 2024

Expert Opinion and Safety Assurance

Experts support this view, emphasizing that shark encounters in the Canary Islands rarely result in attacks on humans. As of now, the beaches remain closed, with continued search operations scheduled to assess if swimming can safely resume.

Main image: Wikipedia/ Kris Mikael Krister