Overview
- The IEO-CSIC and the University of Cádiz verified a white shark record using genetic analysis published in Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria.
- The specimen was accidentally caught on 20 April 2023 off Cabo de la Nao (Alicante) within Spain’s EEZ at 38°42.089’ N, 0°20.325’ E.
- DNA barcoding of tissue matched white shark at roughly 98%, making this one of the few confirmed records in Spanish waters in recent decades.
- Researchers report the shark was a juvenile male about 2.1 meters long with an estimated weight of 80–90 kilograms.
- A historical review shows a persistent yet extremely infrequent presence since the mid-19th century, with very few incidents involving people, and the authors stress the finding does not indicate a population recovery.