Huge shark causes panic at tourist hotspot beach

Beachgoers enjoying the sea at a beautiful tourist hotspot ran in panic after spotting a shark that made its way towards the beach. It reportedly took place on Thursday, July 3, at the town centre beach in Le Grau-du-Roi in the south of France, which is known for its rich sealife, medieval ruins, Camargue marina, and much more.

Christophe Lion filmed the animal and said the creature, which measured around 1.2 metres "came several times to the water's edge and the sand of the beach", as per Ici Gard Lozère. But while its perfectly normal to be alarmed by the presence of a shark, an expert this particular species isn't normally a threat to humans.

Jean-Marc Groul is the director of the town's well-known Seaquarium, which is home to more than 2,000 fish from the Mediterranean and the Tropics, and over 25 species of sharks, seals and sea lions.

Mr Groul told the radio station that Blue Sharks eat fish and don't normally go after humans like other species might.

According to the Wildlife Trusts, the largest blue shark ever caught in UK was more than 9ft long and weighed a whopping 256lbs (116kg), far larger than what was spotted last week.

"It's a shark that was probably born last year; they're born in the spring," Mr Groul said.

He said the near threatened species are known to hatch "in the Gulf of Lion and here, off our towns: Palavas, Carnon, Le Grau-du-Roi, and La Grande Motte. There's a nursery area there, which has been scientifically described".

The marine expert said there's probably a specific reason why the shark ended up so close to the beach that.

"The fact that it's so close to the beach, during the day, means it's certainly been trapped by a sandbank while hunting fish," he told the outlet.

"Blue sharks are harmless; they eat fish, nothing else! Swimmers risk absolutely nothing, except for a very nice sighting," he told Ici Gard Lozère.

According to a bio on the creatures by the Save Our Seas Foundation, they also feed on "squid and other cephalopods", and "have also been known to eat other sharks, cetaceans such as whales and porpoises, and seabirds".

With the heat bringing people to beaches in their droves, Mr Groul offered a key piece of advice to those who encounter them.

"You need to be calm and let the shark return to the open sea peacefully," emphasising the need for caution, calm, and respect when dealing with them.

He made clear that you should never try to catch one, even if they are harmless as it could endanger the creature.