Panic in Canary Islands as swimmers 'push shark back into water' at Tenerife beach

By John Varga, World News Reporter

The shark became stranded on the beach (Image: TikTok/@valeriadepomar)

A shark put in an unexpected appearance at a beach in the Canary Islands on Friday, causing a stir among sunbathers. The shark - believed to have been a Mako - approached the Las Vistas beach in Los Cristianos in southern Tenerife, where it appeared to become disorientated.

Beachgoers rushed to the shore to take a cautious look at the unannounced guest, before trying to help it swim back into deeper waters. The remarkable scene was captured on video, which was later shared on TikTok. Images show people trying to push the animal back out to sea, with one person almost flipping the shark onto its back.

A shark can enter a state known as tonic immobility when its is put on its back, according to marine scientists. Tonic immobility is a temporary paralysis brought about by increased stress levels, and can make it difficult for the shark to breathe.

The Canary Islands are home to around 25 different shark species and sightings of the sea predators close to the coast are becoming more frequent. The Canaries are a stronghold for angelsharks (Squatina squatina), a species listed as "in danger of extinction" in Spanish waters.

They are often seen by divers and fishers, particularly in the south of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Angelsharks are relatively docile and prefer sandy coastal habitats. Other species include basking and hammerhead sharks as well as smooth-hounds.

Mako sharks are also present in the Canaries' waters and are known to be fast swimmers and considered to be apex predators.

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An apex predator is one that sits at the top of a food chain, without any real competitors to challenge its supremacy.

Although shark attacks are extremely rare in the waters off the Canaries, incidents do happen from time to time.

In July, a shark attacked a man paddle-boarding just two miles off Fuerteventura. The man was practising downwind foiling in waters near the Los Molinos area, when he was bitten.

The attack left the paddle-boarder with two nasty bite wounds on his leg, but he managed to return to the shore unaided.