Shark sightings along the Portuguese coast are a perfectly normal occurrence, says an Algarve marine biologist.
Recent shark sightings off Farol, Furnas and Franquia beaches in Vila Nova de Milfontes, Alentejo, have concerned bathers but Élio Vicente, a marine biologist at Zoomarine in Guia, says the animal is harmless and presents no danger to humans.
He explained that these sightings are actually a sign that our waters are not so polluted and provide plenty of food (small fish and plankton) for sharks. “The rising sea temperature is making our waters more favourable for the sharks,” he said, adding that during the summer beaches are packed with people and thus sightings are more likely.
