Reunion. The appearance of a shark leads to an evacuation in the middle of a surfing competition

A bull shark was spotted on the morning of Tuesday November 19, 2024 in the Aigrettes sector, in Saint-Gilles (Reunion), a mecca for surfing. Around twenty young surfers were in the waves when the alert was given, says Meeting The First .

An international surfing competition was taking place on the site. By activating their smoke bombs, the specialists responsible for monitoring the sea triggered the water evacuation procedure. The shark seen measured approximately 1.50 m, specifies the local channel.

No change of program

Once the alert was lifted, the competition could have resumed at the same location. However, “it was decided to change the spot so as not to stress the participants”explained a member of the organizing team. The event was then able to resume normally for the 36 surfers under 21 years old.

The bull shark is one of the three most dangerous species, along with the white shark and the tiger shark. Between them, they are responsible for almost 80% of fatal bites to humans, detailed in June, at West France, Éric Clua, professor at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, specialist in sharks.

To find out more: Read the Réunion La Première article