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Four Caribbean reef sharks - impressive, but mostly harmless to humans: shark attacks are extremely rare.
IMAGO/StockTrek Images
After a mysterious bite on a tourist in Mallorca, swimming was temporarily banned. But data shows: The probability of being attacked by a shark in the Mediterranean is very small.
A swimming ban lasting several hours was imposed on Playa de Palma in Mallorca on Monday. An Italian tourist had suffered an injury to her left calf while swimming. "Shark attack!" was the immediate response.
Before you cancel your vacation in the Mediterranean for fear of sharks, let me reassure you: according to experts, it was probably not a shark attack, but a bite from a triggerfish or bluefish.
In general, shark attacks in the Mediterranean are very rare. This is shown by data from the International Shark Attack File, which is maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History and records all shark attacks worldwide.
In 2024, the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) recorded 47 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide. Four of these were fatal.
Unprovoked shark attacks are incidents in which a person did not initiate contact with the shark - in contrast to provoked cases in which people have sought interaction with the sharks in some way. In research, unprovoked cases are primarily recorded because they represent the natural behavioral pattern of sharks.
Most of the incidents, namely 29, were in the USA. 14 in the state of Florida. And again 8 of them in Volusia County, which has the unofficial title of "Shark Bite Capital of the World". "Many of the sharks in this area are juveniles and have not yet developed the ability to distinguish between humans and their natural prey," writes the ISAF.
In second place is Australia, where 9 cases were recorded. Egypt, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, the Maldives, Mozambique, French Polynesia, Thailand and the Turks and Caicos Islands each had one shark attack.
There were no incidents in the Mediterranean region last year. Since 2000, the ISAF has recorded a total of just four shark attacks there. All without fatal consequences. It is therefore very unlikely that you will be attacked by a shark while on vacation on the beaches of Spain, Italy, Greece or Croatia.
Shark attacks occur slightly more frequentlyin the Red Sea near Egypt. ISAF has documented a total of 15 shark attacks on humans since 2000.
Shark attacks decreased in 2024 compared to previous years. In the previous year, there were 22 more shark attacks. According to the International Shark Attack File, the slight decline in shark attacks in recent years could also be linked to the global decline in shark populations. In addition, strict safety protocols for beaches have been introduced in some regions, particularly in Australia.
According to ISAF figures, it is 3821 times more likely to die from drowning than from a shark attack. If you still want to play it safe, the ISAF recommends always staying close to other people when swimming and staying close to the shore. Being alone or far out increases the likelihood of encountering a shark. Avoid swimming in murky water and at dusk and do not wear conspicuous clothing. Open, bloody wounds or heavy splashing can also attract sharks. If a shark is spotted: stay calm and leave the water slowly.
