This is the moment a baby blue shark was filmed swimming just metres off a beach in Cadiz.
The footage was recorded this week in Sanlucar de Barrameda, a hugely popular holiday resort on the Costa de la Luz.
The clip appears to show a juvenile Blue Shark, known in Spanish as a tintorera, moving through shallow water close to the beach.
Despite the alarm on social media, experts say there is no reason for panic.
Blue sharks are typically pelagic animals, meaning they spend most of their lives in open ocean waters far from the coast.
Sightings close to beaches are unusual, particularly in busy swimming areas.
Marine specialists say young sharks can occasionally end up near shore after becoming disoriented, being carried by currents or suffering illness or exhaustion.
The appearance of a juvenile shark in shallow water does not necessarily indicate any increased danger for bathers.
Authorities advise that anyone encountering a shark, ray or other marine animal close to shore should avoid touching it or attempting to push it back into the sea.
Instead, they should alert lifeguards or call emergency services so specialists can assess the animal’s condition.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
