Med shark attack hotspots as map reveals where beasts have struck after dad mauled to death off Israeli tourist beach
BRITS heading to the Med this summer have been warned about sharks after a dad was mauled to death in its warm waters this week.
Whilst attacks are thankfully uncommon, this new map reveals where sharks have struck around the sea's coastline in the past.
9
9
9
9
Experts have urged holidaymakers visiting these spots to be vigilant, and outlined how to stay safe in the water.
A 40-year-old Israeli man was torn apart by sharks as he swam in the Med off a popular tourist beach near Hadera, northwest Israel, on Monday.
The beach famously attracts sharks, and people often play with the animals - even pulling their tails and hand-feeding them fish.
Footage from the beach shows parents allowing their kids to paddle amongst the creatures moments before the fatal frenzy.
Beach-goers could do nothing but watch as the swimmer was ripped apart in the waves - with harrowing footage capturing the moment the water around him foams red with blood.
Yannis Papastamatiou, a shark expert at Florida International University, insists we must remember that sharks - of any species - are wild animals.
He said: "There has been warning signs that somebody might get hurt at that location in Israel, after the way people were behaving.
"Sharks gather in that area because they are attracted by the warm water released by a power station," he explained.
Yannis said: "The public there were treating them like pets. People were walking right around them and hand feeding them.
"Eventually, someone was going to get hurt. And unfortunately, someone has. These aren't pets, they are large predators."
Terrifying footage shows shark swimming around KIDS before deadly attack in Israel as victim screamed 'it's biting me'
Alessandro De Maddalena, an international shark biology lecturer, said the sharks at the Israeli hotspot are usually dusky and sandbar sharks.
These species are often assumed to pose no threat to humans as they mainly eat reef fish.
But Alessandro warned: "Even if attacks by these species are extremely rare, it is still essential to treat these animals with extreme caution.
"Entering the water with these shark species without any experience, and allowing children and young people to do so, is completely irresponsible."
9
9
If you do find yourself face-to-face with one of the predators, Yannis warned you should not "wait around".
He said: "If you're just swimming and there's large shark in the water, just get out. Is it likely to bit you? No. But there's no reason not to be cautious.
"Also, keep your eyes on it. Make sure the animal knows that you're there and don't let them swim behind you. Try to keep it in sight as you move toward the shore."
Sharks attacks are - thankfully - very rare in the Mediterranean sea, and certainly should not scare you off a visit.
Yannis said: "It's a tragic situation when anyone gets hurt, but it's important to remember how rare these situations are.
"There's been a lot of sharks in this area, and lot of people in the water over the past ten years, and this is the first attack."
9
9
Most holiday destinations are very safe - and tourists are highly unlikely to even see a shark if unless they visit a hotspot.
Alessandro advised avoiding "power plants and fish farms where large, potentially dangerous sharks are frequently present".
He added: "If you know that a particular site is regularly
visited by large, potentially dangerous sharks or that they have been seen in the area on those days, it is advisable to avoid entering the water altogether.
"Most important, never dive alone and never spearfish in those areas.
Yannis said sharks are also known to gather around "ports or harbours where fish, carcasses or blood from fishing activities might be dumped", so these are best avoided as well.
There are 51 species of shark in the Mediterranean sea, but both experts stressed over-fishing has significantly reduced their numbers.
Alessandro said: "The most dangerous species, the great white shark, once common in the Mediterranean, is now extremely
rare.
"The last fatal attack caused by this species in the area dates back to 1989."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Warning over 'life-threatening' bacteria living on an object in your pocket
The study found that the most common bacteria on car keys was Staphylococcus epidermidis - a bug normally found on the skin but known to cause life-threatening infections in hospital settings Brits are being warned that a commonly used item is harbouring alarmingly high levels of bacteria - and it's probably in your pocket right now. While many of us are fastidious about cleaning our bathrooms or wiping down surfaces, it appears we're neglecting one everyday essential: our car keys, according to MailOnline. New research by Money Supermarket has revealed that car keys contain nearly four times more bacteria than a mobile phone or a computer keyboard – making them one of the grimiest items we carry around. Despite the disturbing findings, a third of drivers have never cleaned their car keys, even though a quarter have had them for over five years. While it's already well known that the steering wheel, gearstick, and dashboard are breeding grounds for germs, experts warn that the keys themselves have been perilously overlooked, reports the Express. "Washing our hands, wiping down surfaces, scrubbing our bathrooms are common cleaning tasks," the experts say. "But what about those small essentials we handle multiple times a day, like our car keys?" "They're with us everywhere, from restaurant tables to gym floors, to the depths of our bags, but they're often overlooked when it comes to cleaning." The team surveyed 2,000 UK motorists about their cleaning habits and car types. They also sent swabs of various items to a lab, including phones, keyboards, and a toilet seat – long seen as one of the dirtiest household objects. The findings were shocking. Mobile phone screens had an average bacteria count of 66, with computer keyboards slightly higher at 68. However, car keys clocked in at a staggering 241 – nearly four times filthier than either device. Unsurprisingly, the toilet seat took the top spot with the highest reading of all at 1,100. Dr Joe Latimer, director of Microbe Consulting Ltd and a microbiologist at the University of Salford, led the analysis and suggested that the bacteria levels on keys might still be underestimated. The most prevalent bacteria identified on car keys was Staphylococcus epidermidis – a bug typically found on the skin but known to cause life-threatening infections in hospital environments, especially post-surgery. Alarmingly, this bacterium is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, raising additional health worries. While many of the bacteria were skin-based, researchers also discovered traces of gut bacteria on at least one set of keys. "While unlikely to pose a problem, they can have the potential to carry disease under the right conditions," Dr Latimer cautioned. Experts are now advising drivers to regularly clean their car keys using a soft, damp cloth and mild soap solution. Bleach should be avoided as it can corrode the metal, and keys should never be submerged in water due to potential damage to key fobs and electronic components. Motorists are also shelling out hundreds for key replacements, with one Fiat owner reportedly paying over £900 - typically due to lost or misplaced sets. Shockingly, 15 per cent of drivers confess to not having a spare set of keys at all - leaving them in a pickle if their main set goes missing. Fiat drivers were most likely to only own one set (27 per cent), followed by Land Rover owners (23 per cent) and Toyota drivers (20 per cent). On the flip side, BMW drivers were found to be the most hygiene-conscious, with 57 per cent cleaning their keys weekly or more often. Mercedes-Benz owners followed at 55 per cent, then Land Rover (46 per cent), Audi (43 per cent) and Toyota (41 per cent). The full results of the study can be found on the Money Supermarket website.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Warning as Vladimir Putin could attack Britain - using unique doomsday tactic
Defence experts have issued a warning to govenment officials over fears that Vladimir Putin could use dangerous sun-blocking technology to orchestrate a deadly attack Brits have been warned that Russia could launch a nightmare attack against the country by using high-tech doomsday equipment to block the sun. Defence experts have stressed that Vladimir Putin could use geoengineering to transform weather systems and disrupt the UK. It has been reported that officials have been warned about the risks of an 'independent or third-party actor' performing the strike. If such an attack was to happen, the health of humans and wildlife would be severely impacted. The economic impact to industries such as farming would be huge as crops would also die and solar power plants would be useless. What is solar geoengineering? Solar geoengineering is the study of how to manipulate of the amount of radiation reaching the Earth from the sun. One method of enacting a dimming of the rays coming from the sun can be to fire aerosols into the atmosphere. The aerosols would react in the atmosphere and block energy from the sun, reflecting it back into space. The Telegraph reports that Kerry McCarthy, the climate minister, wrote in a letter: 'The UK is a longstanding leader on climate action and an active international collaborator in scientific research. The Government recognises the need to understand the risks and impacts of [solar radiation modification] approaches that could be deployed by an independent or third-party actor. Robust scientific evidence is essential for informing responsible and inclusive governance.' Sun dimming is being studied widely across the world at present as scientists look at the idea as a way to tackle climate change, global temperature rises and diminishing ice levels in the poles. In Britain, the Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA) is a government backed body whith more than £60m of funding to look into the technology. What have experts said? But aside from the environmetal study of sun dimming, or Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) as it is known, defence expert Matt Ince, from Dragonfly Intelligence, told the Telegraph hostile powers around the world may also be seeking to exploit SRM to use against the UK. Mr Ince said: 'In a context where we've had, for example, Russia increasingly expanding its use of hybrid warfare activities, it's possible – not immediately, but down the line – that they may look to broaden and diversify the types of activities that they're conducting, to include more novel types of activity of which solar geoengineering may be one. 'Not least because of its relative affordability and the feasibility of conducting it, but also because it would allow a relative degree of plausible deniability. We've seen migration patterns being intentionally influenced by the Russian state as a way of trying to push more pressure on to European countries.' Mr Ince added that 'some sort of intentionally orchestrated environmental disaster' is an 'avenue that Russia may pursue'. More than 550 concerned academics recently penned an open letter to the calling for SRM use to be globally controlled. The letter added: "Without effective global and democratic controls, the geopolitics of possible unilateral deployment of solar geoengineering would be frightening and inequitable." And Dan Marks, a research fellow in energy security at the Royal United Services Institute, told the Telegraph there were questions about what could be done if a country did deploy SRM in a hostile way. He added: "If a country decided to deploy that kind of technology, then there is a real question of how do you treat that legally? How do you treat it diplomatically?" Lt Gen Richard Nugee, the former Ministry of Defence non-executive director for climate change and sustainability, said SRM had not been "weaponised" yet and there could be "too may variables" for it to have "guaranteed output". An Aria spokesman said: 'In line with the Government's position on SRM deployment, Aria is not funding deployment, and does not support, the deployment of any climate cooling approaches.' A Government spokesman said: 'The government is not in favour of using solar radiation modification, but we support cautious, controlled research aimed at improving our understanding of its risks and impacts. The Government supports Aria's mission to fund high-risk, high-reward transformational research programmes with long-term benefits.'
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
The 16th-century shipwreck discovered in previously unmapped area
A 16th-century merchant vessel's remains have been discovered off the coast of southern France, the deepest shipwreck ever found in that part of the Mediterranean. The shipwreck, dubbed Camarat 4, was found at a depth of over 2.5km during a French navy seabed exploration mission off Ramatuelle in a previously unmapped area in March. Submersible drones captured detailed images and videos of the wreck, revealing about 200 earthenware pitchers trapped under sediment, some with the monogram 'IHS' and geometric decorations. Researchers suspect the ceramics were made in the Liguria region of northern Italy in the 16th century, and the wreck also contains around 100 plates, cannon anchors, and two cauldrons. Scientists plan further studies to create a 3D digital version of the ship and extract samples to enhance understanding of 16th-century Mediterranean navigation, with the wreckage well-preserved due to the depth.
