A blue shark was spotted in the second marina of Glyfada swimming in the shallows. According to experts, these sharks are currently in breeding season and swim in the shallows looking for food. Watch the videos:
Prionace glauca (BSH), Glaucous Shark or Blue Shark
It is found in Greece and Cyprus
Conservation Status: With: CR / GR: VU
Protection Status: It is not protected
Population Trend: Declining
Main threats: Targeted longline fishing
Maximum Length: 4 m.
Geographical distribution: Cosmopolitan species, prefers temperate and tropical waters
Habitat: Oceanic and Neritic Zone
Depth: 1 – 1000 m.
Diet: It feeds on fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, carcasses of marine mammals and seabirds. Source: isea.com.gr
The research director of the Archipelago Marine Protection Institute, Anastasia Miliou, recommends calmness as this is neither a dangerous phenomenon nor a rare one.
“We live in a country with an excellent sea and a rare biodiversity – 34 species of sharks exist in the Greek seas” notes Ms. Miliou.
This particular species, as he says speaking to MEGA, can be found in shallow waters up to a thousand meters deep. “This thing was chasing something and got into the shallows, definitely in the wrong spot. It’s not unusual or rare, and it’s certainly not dangerous. There is no reason to panic,” he emphasizes.
“Movies have created a myth”
“It is a blue shark, a species that reaches four meters in length, this particular one appears to be young. It is very common for a fish to hunt its food and find itself in shallower waters,” continues Mrs. Miliou.
As for the panic that is usually created just at the mention of the word shark, Ms. Miliou emphasizes that “we see many films, which have created a myth but, for so many years that we have been recording shark populations in the Greek seas, there has never been an accident . It is more likely that the accident was caused by a human factor and not by rare species.”
And if we see it, what do we do? As she recommends, “in general, when we see a rare, unusual species we should let it find its way. We stay still, we don’t shout, we don’t scream, there is no reason to panic.”
The incident in Glyfada is a reminder that “the seas are not only for us but also for the rest of the species we live with,” she says. “We have incidents with seals, with turtles, with various species and it is good to remember that animals are not souvenirs or dangerous selfies, we stay away, enjoy and respect our fellow residents in the Greek seas.”