Blue sharks sighted near Almería beaches due to breeding and warming seas

The presence of blue sharks, known locally as tintoreras (Prionace glauca), on the beaches of Almería has become a recurring summer phenomenon. Experts from the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) and the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), both part of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), clarify that these sharks are not new arrivals but have always inhabited the region.

Research conducted under the COTI project identifies the Almería coast, along with the Catalan coast and the Gulf of Alicante, as critical areas for the survival and conservation of these predators in the Western Mediterranean. These zones are vital for their feeding, reproduction, and migration.

Several factors contribute to their visibility near the shore:

- Breeding Season: During spring and summer, sharks gather in the Strait of Gibraltar to mate, with females seeking warm, shallow Mediterranean waters to give birth. Most sightings are juveniles measuring 1 to 1.5 meters. - Rising Sea Temperatures: The Mediterranean is warming significantly faster than the global average. High temperatures attract schools of small fish, the sharks' primary food source, closer to the coastline. - Ecosystem Shifts: Global warming and overfishing are forcing sharks to explore new areas in search of prey.