Shark sighting reported on Cancun beach

Alberto Capella, Secretary of Public Security in Quintana Roo, shared two photographs on his twitter account, which show a spot in the sea, very close to the sandbank on a beach in Cancun, allegedly a shark.

According to the state's chief police, the shark sighting occurred on a beach located between kilometer 11 and 12 and Kukulkan Boulevard in the Hotel Zone, and was reported to 911 by several people. Due to the remoteness of the photographs, the animal cannot be seen.

"[...] we are alerted to 911 by several people of a SHARK very close to the beach. CAUTION!" reads his message on that social network.

However, he recalled that access to the beaches is closed, so they do not expect major setbacks.

It is worth remembering that since the closure of hotels and other attractions in the state due to the coronavirus pandemic a couple of weeks ago, there have been reported sightings of wildlife such as jaguars, endangered birds, turtles and even a crocodile.

Shark Attacks Increase Around the World

A brand new investigation revealed a significant increase in shark attacks around the world. The same was done by the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences of Louisiana State University, United States.

The study involved the analysis of these phenomena from 1960 to 2015. This survey showed that they have doubled in the last 20 years around the world. Although these attacks are mainly concentrated in the northern country, high levels were also found in southern Australia and South Africa.

When consulted by different specialized media, Stephen Midway, leader of the report, was able to comment on the cause of this increase. Midway clarifies that it is not due to the greater number of these specimens, but to the greater number of people on the coasts. "With more people in the water, the possibility of a shark attack increases," the scientists said in an official statement.

Places most prone to shark attacks

The United States ranks first in terms of the number of such attacks, according to the document 1215 were recorded in 55 years, although only 24 ended up being fatal. Australia ranks second with a big difference between its numbers: just 315.

Latin America is also among the most dangerous places. Brazil, Mexico, and Ecuador complete the top 5 with 88, 33 and 11 events respectively. However, the number of fatal cases remains low and those responsible for the investigation warn that there is one in several million chances of being bitten by one of these aquatic animals.

By Mexicanist