THIS is the chilling moment a two-metre-tall shark stalks the coast and sends terrified tourists fleeing to a Gran Canaria beach.
The youngsters could be heard screaming as the shark’s telltale fin was seen sticking out of the water.
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Officers rushed to Melenara beach on the island’s east coast after the alarm was raised at around 5pm on Saturday.
Lifeguards had already helped to clear the sea and the red flag was raised soon after.
Footage from the scene showed young people running for safety as the shark swam towards shore before turning back at the last minute after struggling in the water.
Another man was pictured with a child in his arms, in the safety of the sand, as he watched it coming towards him.
A spokesperson for Telde municipality, the municipality to which Melenara beach belongs, said: “It is important that people remain calm and follow the instructions of lifeguards and authorities.”
A young woman who was in the water when the shark appeared told a local television station: “The lifeguard started blowing his whistle and telling everyone to get out of the water and I looked around and saw his fin.”
A friend added: “We saw the fin which was about seven inches out of the water and started moving as fast as we could back to the beach.”
A search for the shark in the area using jet skis failed to locate it.
It was unclear this morning whether the red flag would remain in effect on Sunday.
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The shark has been identified locally as a hammerhead shark that can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds, although smaller sizes are more common.
Most species of hammerhead sharks are considered harmless to humans and few attacks have been recorded, but they are aggressive hunters and their size and ferocity make them potentially harmless.
Last month, tourists and locals were banned from entering the sea following a shark sighting on a beach in Menorca.
The coast guard raised the red flag and announced the Spanish equivalent of 999 after the fin of a seven-foot-tall blue shark, or tinterora, was seen above the waterline.
The alarm was raised at around 3.30pm on May 6 at the popular Arenal d’en Castell beach – the same spot where another shark was spotted in June 2018, when swimmers were also banned from entering the water all afternoon .
The shark sighting was described at the time as the first this year near a Costa beach.
Blue sharks rarely bite humans, but they have been implicated in several biting incidents, four of which ended fatally.
A blue shark was blamed for attacking a tourist in Elche, near Alicante, in July 2016.
The 40-year-old victim was rushed to hospital and received stitches for a hand wound.
Rescuers described the bite as “large” and said he emerged from the sea with blood oozing from the wound.
In June last year, an adult blue shark, measuring around two meters, caused panic at Aguamarina beach on the Costa Blanca, in Orihuela Costa, south of Alicante.
Beachgoers were filmed trying to run to safety through waist-deep water as it approached the shore.
Lifeguards blew their whistles to warn locals and tourists about the large fish and urge them to get out of the sea as quickly as possible.
A woman, believed to be an elderly person seen being helped out of the water by swimmers, reportedly suffered a panic attack when she realized the shark was next to her.
He turned up dead the next day near the rocks on La Caleta beach in Cabo Roig, a few kilometers away.
On the same day it appeared, the same species of shark was spotted in the port of Ciutadella, in Menorca.
Shark sightings are not common in the Balearic Islands.
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What are hammerhead sharks and are they dangerous?
HAMMERHEAD sharks are a distinctive and fascinating group of sharks known for their unique hammer-shaped heads called cephalofoils.
There are nine species of hammerhead sharks, the best known of which are the great hammerhead, the scalloped hammerhead and the smooth hammerhead.
Hammerhead sharks are generally not considered highly dangerous to humans. Although they are large and powerful predators, they are not known for being aggressive towards people.
Documented attacks on humans by hammerhead sharks are extremely rare. When such incidents occur, they are usually cases of mistaken identity or provoked situations.
Hammerhead sharks are typically shy and avoid humans. They may show curiosity, but are unlikely to show aggressive behavior unless threatened or provoked.
Many divers and swimmers encounter hammerhead sharks without any problems. In fact, these encounters are often sought after by divers due to the sharks’ impressive appearance and the relatively low risk they pose.
Although not typically dangerous, caution should always be exercised around any large marine animal.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
