Why the sighting of a white shark off the Var is “good news”

The white shark being an endangered species in the Mediterranean, the observation of a specimen off the Var coast is good news for scientists, who point out that there is no reason to fear the presence of sharks.

The animal did not go unnoticed. A great white shark was observed at the beginning of November in the waters of the Mediterranean, off the island of Porquerolles. With an estimated size of between 3.5 and 4.5 meters, the appearance of the shark does not reassure some coastal boaters.

“If I see the fin swimming, I admit that I might get a little chill,” admits a resident at the microphone of BFM Toulon Var. Henri Cavillon, the fisherman who saw the shark up close, also admits to our colleagues at RMC that he “was careful” when he saw the size of the shark passing under his boat.

However, scientists and associations for the protection of biodiversity are delighted with this observation.

“Today, large sharks in the Mediterranean are on the verge of extinction,” recalls Matthieu Lapinski, president of the Ailerons association, to BFMTV. “The great white shark is in critical danger, it is really the maximum threshold before disappearance in the natural state. The fact that there are still animals that can coexist with humans, particularly in the Mediterranean, is is good news.”

An “unjustified” fear

Especially since white sharks in the Mediterranean should not be a source of concern for residents and boaters. François Sarano, oceanographer and former traveling companion of Commander Cousteau, reminds our colleagues at Var-Matin that their presence is completely normal.

“The presence of a great white shark, in this case a female who has most likely reached sexual maturity, is pleasing, but we should not make a big deal out of it,” he explains.

“You should know that in the middle of the 20th century, the population of great white sharks was very significant in the Mediterranean,” continues the oceanographer, while recalling the species status “in critical danger of extinction in the Mediterranean” now .

Great white sharks are “mainly victims of fishing, whether targeted or accidental”, explains François Sarano, who also calls for “not to fear this species” and speaks of an “unjustified” fear.

He points out that the number of shark-related accidents around the world is proportionately quite low, so much so that he says horse riding is more dangerous than swimming.

“Out of the hundreds of millions of people who swim around the world each year, the number of accidents involving sharks – all species combined – is less than a hundred. And if we consider great white sharks alone, we fall to less than ten accidents per year,” he explains.

Scientific estimates number around 800 white sharks in the Mediterranean.