Is this a great white shark in Magaluf?
British holidaymakers have been on alert after a shark was spotted in the water off the coast of Magaluf, Spain.
The animal was spotted in the shallows off Palmanova and pictures of it were uploaded to Facebook by diving club Buceo Illesub Mallorca.
Many people online have been questioning exactly what the creature is, and one local suggested that it is a young great white shark.
According to the Metro, great whites have been spotted in Magaluf before, but it is unusual for them to come so close to the shoreline.
Back in 1992, a great white shark was found washed up on a beach in the Catalan resort of Tossa de Mar.
Shark attacks in the Mediterranean are extremely rare, but, the paper adds, a windsurfer was attacked in 1986 by what was believed to be a great white, and his leg had to be amputated.
In this case, Ali Hood of the Shark Trust, suggests the shark is not a great white as the locals believe. She even believes it may not be a shark at all.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, she said: "Talking to other taxonomic experts, from what we can tell from the distance and distortion, the placements of what appears to be the first and second dorsal fin (which seems to be placed far forward of the caudal fin) would refute the speculation that it could be a white shark and indeed might not be a shark at all, but could even be a tuna or other large bony fish."
What do you think it is? Leave a comment below.
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