André Bonassoli, Author at Sharks Insider

Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and is the capital of Catalonia, Spain. As the city is in the Mediterranean Sea, it’s natural that some species of sharks call the seas of Barcelona home. There are 47 species of sharks in Barcelona. However, shark attacks are rare, with only one non-fatal incident registered on July 3, 1926. The most common sharks in Barcelona are Blue Sharks, Sand Tiger Sharks, Blacktip Sharks, Grey Nurse Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, and even Great Whites. In this article, you'll learn all the details about sharks in Barcelona. Including shark species, recent beach closures due to shark activity, and the few attacks ever registered in or near the capital of Catalonia. Finally, I wrote an entire section listing all the attacks (provoked and unprovoked) that ever happened in Spain and discovered through data analysis which should be the "usual suspect," that is, the shark species that is involved in most of the attacks in the country. To learn all about sharks in Barcelona, keep reading. Are There Sharks In Barcelona? Sharks are all over the Mediterranean Sea, including in Barcelona. The shallow waters near the beaches are not very inviting to the sharks, but eventual sightings occur in the region. As people are not used to seeing many of these incredible animals, some may think that there are no sharks in the area. Nonetheless, it's not true. It's a common misconception about sharks. That's why it's important to remember: just because you can't see a shark does not mean they aren't there. There are 47 species of sharks in Barcelona. All forty-seven shark species live in the waters of the Mediterranean. Still, the most common species near Catalonia's capital are the Blue Sharks, Sand Tiger Sharks, Blacktip Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, and Great Whites. Despite the presence of a considerable amount of species in the area, shark attacks in Barcelona and even in the entire country are rare events. In Spain, since 1764, 9 shark-related deaths have occurred (the last in 1912). Still, shark sightings are becoming more frequent. Less than a month ago, five beaches were closed in Barcelona due to the presence of 3 sharks: two blue sharks and one shortfin mako shark. Blue sharks are regular visitors to Barcelona, but the Shortfin Mako caught attention as it's not a common species in the Balearic Sea. The sharks that can be more easily found in Barcelona are: Blue SharksSand Tiger SharksNurse SharksHammerhead SharksBlacktip SharksGreat White SharksCatsharksSpinner SharksTiger SharksBull Sharks This list shows an interesting fact: some of these sharks are considered dangerous (including the White Shark, which has been credited with more fatal attacks on humans than any other species of shark). Still, shark attacks in Barcelona are almost non-existent. Tiger Sharks and Bull Sharks are also very aggressive and have been involved in hundreds of incidents with humans around the world. This is a clear indication that, although they did happen, shark attacks on humans are extremely rare, and most of the time, they happen by the mistake of animals or situations caused by human beings. Related Article: Are There Sharks In Rio De Janeiro? (Rio Sharks Guide) Sharks In Barcelona: What Species Are There? In total, as said before, there are 47 species of sharks in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Even though there's a chance for all of them to be found in Barcelona, some are easier to found, therefore, more common to the area. Total Number of Shark Species In Barcelona: 47Most Frequently Seen: Blue SharksMost Dangerous/Aggressive Species: Great White Sharks, Bull Sharks, Tiger SharksBiggest Sharks Found In Barcelona: Great White Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks Tiger sharks, Bull sharks, and White sharks are commonly referred to as “The Big Three” for their involvement in shark attacks, and the three species can be found in the Mediterranean Sea (and Barcelona). Still, the number of attacks is very low and sightings, especially of Great Whites, are rare. In the following table, you can check the top 10 species of sharks that are more common in Barcelona. SpeciesScientific NameMax SizeAggressivenessBlue SharksPrionace glaucaUp to 4 m(13 ft)Not Aggressive(Curious, Approach Humans)Sand Tiger SharksCarcharias taurusUp to 3.2 m(10.5 ft)Not Aggressive(Potentially Dangerous)Nurse SharksGinglymostoma cirratumUp to 4.2 m(14 ft)Not Aggressive(Potentially Dangerous)Hammerhead SharksSphyrna mokarranUp to 6.1 m(20 ft)Not Aggressive(Potentially Dangerous)Blacktip SharksCarcharhinus limbatusUp to 2 m(6.5 ft)Not Aggressive(Potentially Dangerous)Great White SharksCarcharodon carchariasUp to 7 m(23 ft)Very Aggressive (Extremely Dangerous)CatsharksPoroderma pantherinumUp to 1 m(3 ft)Not Aggressive(Harmless)Spinner SharksCarcharhinus brevipinnaUp to 2 m(6.5 ft)Not Aggressive(Potentially Dangerous)Tiger SharksGaleocerdo cuvierUp to 5 m (16.5 ft)Very Aggressive (Extremely Dangerous)Bull SharksCarcharhinus leucasUp to 2.1 m(6.8 ft)Very Aggressive (Extremely Dangerous) Those are the most common sharks found in the Mediterranean and Barcelona. But as you know now, they're not the only ones. There are at least 37 more species in the area. In the list below, you can check some other species that call Barcelona waters its home. Portuguese DogfishGulper and Little Gulper sharkSixgill sharkDusky sharkSilky sharkBignose sharkMilk sharkThresher shark speciesLongnose spurdogPiked dogfishSixgill shark speciesVelvet Belly sharkTope sharkSmoothhound sharkCookiecutter sharkNursehound sharkLittle sleeper sharkSmalltooth Sand Tiger sharkAngel sharks (one of the species involved in most of the attacks in Spain)Angular RoughsharkPorbeagleKitefin sharkLongfin Mako shark Related Article: Are There Sharks In The English Channel? (Full Guide) Shark Attacks In Barcelona: All Incidents Angel Sharks and Blue Sharks are the species involved in most of the attacks in Spain. In Barcelona, the one and the only incident involved a 2-meter-long shark of unidentified species and a male called Sebastian Llopis Puges, who suffered no injuries. However, this incident is in check, as the GSAF authority C. Moore marked this episode as questionable. It doesn't mean it never happened, just that there are gaps in the story, like if it was a shark or maybe a dolphin or any other sea animal. In the following table, you can find all the incidents involving sharks ever registered in Spain. There is only one episode in Barcelona (discussed above) and one near Barcelona, in Badalona, Eastern Catalonia. It was an unprovoked fatal shark attack on July 25, 1864. The victim was a male that was bathing in the evening. The shark species was not identified. DateAreaLocationActivityIncident TypeFatal?26 May 2020Canary IslandsFamara BeachPlayingUnprovokedNo16-Sep-2017Canary IslandsGran CanariaBody surfingUnprovokedNo26-Aug-2017CastellónGrao de MoncofaSwimmingInvalidNo23-Jul-2017MajorcaEstanys BeachSwimmingUnprovokedNo17-Jun-2017Ibiza IslandPlaya d’en BossaSwimmingUnprovokedNo29-Jul-2016Alicante ProvinceArenales del SolSwimmingUnprovokedNo08-Jul-2016Canary IslandsTenerifeWadingUnprovokedNo25-Dec-2015Grand Canary IslandGran CanariaSwimmingUnprovokedNo18-Aug-2015AlicantePoniente BeachSwimmingInvalidNo03-Dec-2014GranadaOff MotrilFishing for blue sharksProvokedNoSep-2014CataloniaSalouPlaying with an air mattressUnprovokedNo27-Aug-2014AlicanteBenidormSwimmingUnprovokedNo20-Jul-2014Canary IslandsTenerifeWadingUnprovokedNo07-Jul-2013CataloniaSant Marti d’EmpuriesSwimmingInvalidNo16-Jul-2010Grand Canary IslandSardina del NorteSwimmingProvokedNo24-Jul-2009CatalunyaSant SalvadorSwimmingInvalidNo13-Jul-2006AlicanteSan Juan BeachSwimmingInvalidNo03-Sep-1993Costa BlancaValenciaSwimmingUnprovokedNoApr-1986CataloniaLloret-de-MarDivingUnprovokedNo18-Mar-1986CádizTarifaWindsurfingUnprovokedNo26-Jul-1980Canary IslandsTenerifeSkin divingUnprovokedNoLate 1970sCanary IslandsTenerifeSpearfishingUnprovokedNo1962CataloniaAigua BlavaDangling feet in the waterUnprovokedNo16-Aug-1930Canary IslandsTenerifeSwimmingUnprovokedNo02-Oct-1929ValenciaNasareth BeachFishingUnprovokedNo03-Jul-1926Sants-MontjicBarcelonaBathingInvalid: missing more informationNo04-Sep-1925ValenciaValenciaFishingProvokedNo24-Mar-1924GalicaSisargas IslandsFishingWatercraftNo08-Jul-1916Gran CanariaLas PalmasDivingUnprovokedNo1912BalearicsIsla CabreraFell into the waterUnprovokedYes31-Jul-1911MálagaCeutaBathingUnprovokedYes27-Apr-1909AndaluciaPuente MayorgaFishingProvokedNo28-Aug-1908GaliciaCape FinisterreFell overboard from P&O steamship ArabiaUnprovokedYes18-Jul-1908Canary IslandsLa PalmaShark caught with human remains.Invalid: Shark involvementprior to death unconfirmed.Yes22-Sep-1879ValenciaCastellon de la PlanaFishingProvokedNo25-Jul-1864Eastern CatalonaBadalonaBathingUnprovokedYes15-Aug-1862UnknownA Spanish portBathingUnprovokedNo02-Aug-1862MalagaFuengirola-Invalid: possible drowning and scavenging.Yes25-Jul-1862MalagaSan AndresSwimmingUnprovokedYes14-Jul-1862CádizOff Algeciras-UnprovokedYes13-Jul-1862CádizOff AlgecirasSwimming alongside the SS KearsargeUnprovokedYes26-Jul-1836UnknownUnknownShark caught with human remains.Invalid: Shark involvementprior to death unconfirmed.Yes08-Jul-1819CádizUnknown-Invalid: no injury, no attackNo1764UnknownGuadalquivir RiverSwimmingUnprovokedYesBefore 2012Canary IslandsTenerifeSkin divingUnprovokedNo Related Questions Are there sharks at Barcelona beaches? There are 47 species of sharks that can be found on Barcelona beaches. However, shark attacks and even sightings in this region of the Mediterranean Sea are very rare. The more common shark in the area is the Blue Shark. Are there shark attacks in Spain? There are shark attacks in Spain, but they are very rare. Since 1764, 44 incidents with sharks have been registered in the country: 29 unprovoked, 5 provoked, and 10 invalid registers (missing information), with 9 deaths in total. Do great white sharks live in Spain? Great White Sharks can be found in Spain, but sightings are rare. There are 47 species of sharks in the Mediterranean Sea, and the most common to see in Spain are the Blue Sharks and Angel Sharks. What sharks live near Spain? Forty-seven shark species are living near Spain, and the more common are: Blue Sharks, Angel Sharks, Sand Tiger Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Blacktip Sharks, Great White Sharks, Catsharks, Spinner Sharks, Tiger Sharks, and Bull Sharks. Sources Shark Attack Data: https://www.sharkattackdata.com/place/spainGlobal Shark Attack File (GSAF): https://www.sharkattackfile.net/Florida Museum: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/International Shark Attack File (ISAF): https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/