A great white shark was observed by a fisherman in the waters of the Port-Cros National Park (Var). The latter recounted this unusual meeting to our colleagues at Var-Matin, in an article published this Tuesday, November 19. Note that the last observation made of this species in the Mediterranean dates back to September 2022. A five-meter white shark was seen five kilometers from Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône. A big scare for witnesses to the scene!
Two exceptional encounters which clearly demonstrate that the much feared Carcharodon carcharias is very present in the Mediterranean.
The Var fisherman had the chance to observe and film an individual of approximately 4 meters in the waters of the Port-Cros National Park (Var) at the beginning of November.
“46 observations of white shark in the Mediterranean between 1999 and 2008”
“New specimen of great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) observed this week in the Port-Cros and Porquerolles National Park”, explains the Bormes-les-Mimosas diving center in a Facebook publication posted this Monday, November 18.
For his part, biologist Matthieu Lapinski specifies in a Facebook publication: “These observations remain exceptional. […] From 1989 to 1998, 85 observations were recorded, and only 46 between 1999 and 2008, i.e. – 45%…”
A 67-year-old fisherman from Toulon “saw the beast”
“I am the man who saw the beast”, amateur fisherman Henri Cavillon told our colleagues at Var-Matin. This 67-year-old retiree from Toulon had left the Mourillon district (located in the south of Toulon, Editor's note) and headed towards Porquerolles for a solo fishing trip when he filmed the great white shark.
“That morning, I didn't take anythinghe smiles. And then, around 11 o'clock, I saw this fin from afar. Even though at sea you see a lot of things, he aroused my curiosity so I approached and cut off the engine when I got 20 meters from him. Afterwards, it was he who slowly approached me. He passed next to the boat, then under it another time and after three or four passes, he left quietly.”
“I can't imagine he could take on a 7.5 meter boat like mine and I think he was injured, pursues the fisherman. I know that this is extremely rare, so, as I am sensitive to the preservation of the environment, I wanted to share my observation with a specialized association. It allows you to deepen your knowledge.”
“Good news for biodiversity in the Mediterranean”
Cathy Cesarini, president of the Cetaceans Island Research Association (Cari), would like to reassure the population of a possible danger for Corsican swimmers. “It is a species that lives in the great depths. And there are enough resources in the deep Mediterranean seas so that the shark does not have to come to the surface to feed. In any case, this is excellent news for biodiversity.” she explains.
As a reminder, a great white shark measuring more than 9 meters was captured by Ajaccio fishermen in 2007. The same year two other specimens were seen along the Corsican coast.
Note that the population of great white sharks in the Mediterranean is very low: from 0 to 250 sharks according to the latest estimates from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are so few white sharks in the Mediterranean that the species is considered in “critically endangered”again according to the IUCN. “While on a global scale, this type of shark is ‘simply’ considered vulnerable”note the scientists from Nature Biodynamics.
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