Shark Attacks in Spain: Rare but Documented

Shark attacks in Spain are rare, but several have occurred in recent years. The most recent fatal attack was in 2018, when a French tourist was killed by a great white shark off Tarragona, Catalonia.

Notable Incidents

• 2022: A 70-year-old man was bitten on the leg by a blue shark while windsurfing near Tarifa, Cádiz.
• 2019: A woman was injured by a shark while swimming in shallow waters off La Palma, Canary Islands.
• 2018: A 59-year-old woman was killed by a great white shark while scuba diving near the Cíes Islands, Galicia.
• 2016: A 32-year-old woman was killed by a great white shark while swimming off Tarragona.
• 2008: A 32-year-old man was bitten by a dusky shark while windsurfing off Gran Canaria.

Despite these cases, the Mediterranean Sea is generally considered a low-risk region for shark encounters compared to other parts of the world.