Overview
- A 28-year-old woman from Berlin said a fish bit her right calf in knee-deep water at Cala Major, causing short pain but no bleeding, in an incident reported this week.
- Marine biologists and conservation groups identify juvenile sea bream species as the likely culprits because their near-transparent young are hard to see and they have strong jaws.
- Experts say rising water temperatures can increase fish metabolism and change foraging, which may make sea bream more likely to nip at feet, skin flakes, or open scratches.
- Authorities and media across Mallorca have advised simple precautions such as avoiding standing still in shallow water, protecting open skin with waterproof plasters, not feeding fish, and alerting lifeguards for wounds that bleed or hurt more.
- Officials note the phenomenon is recurrent rather than new, with past spikes recorded by authorities, so locals and tourists should watch affected beaches including Playa de Palma, Sa Ràpita, S’Estanyol, Cala Pi and Cala d’Or.