Every summer, more than 2 million Britons travel to Mallorca – the largest Balearic island belonging to Spain – to enjoy the sun and Mediterranean relaxation. However, an unusual phenomenon threatens to spoil the days spent on the pristine sandy shores and in the clear turquoise waters.
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Tourists vacationing in Mallorca are being warned about “biting fish.”
A little over a week ago, reports were received that small fish bit people swimming in the crystal-clear waters off the coast of Mallorca. These incidents were recorded near the Illetes and Cala Comtessa beaches, located in the municipality of Calvià and the resort town.
The Spanish news outlet “Majorca Daily Bulletin” reported that over the weekend “several people” said they saw “small fish – they seemed to have about two teeth each – that bit our feet; eventually, they really broke through the skin to the blood.”
At first, people thought the fish were just “removing dead skin,” not biting live flesh. One eyewitness told the publication after the weekend: “The attacking fish returned to Mallorca’s waters – on Saturday at Illetes I saw groups of people jumping up and down as the small fish nibbled and even bit them.”
“Last year, I was bitten three times; this year, so far, it’s going better, but for others – not. One man even joked that maybe these fish are part of a movement against tourism!”
However, reports of small fish biting in the shallow waters off Mallorca’s coast are not new. Last summer, a woman suffered a serious fish bite on the “Playa de Palma” beach, and a tourist from Germany said that during the same week, several fish bit him twice on different occasions.
“But this time the bite was quite serious – I immediately got out of the water because it even started to bleed,” he told the “Majorca Daily Bulletin” last summer.
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However, it is not only they who have reported fish bites; it is believed that since the summer of 2023, there have been many minor incidents along Mallorca’s coasts.
Rising sea water temperatures may contribute to these unusual events.
It is believed that over the years this phenomenon has become more frequent, and local media report an increase in cases during the summer months when fish bite swimmers. Similar incidents have been recorded in other parts of Mallorca, including Palma, Sa Ràpita, S’Estanyol, Cala Pi, and Cala d’Or.
Experts say that rising sea water temperatures may contribute to these unusual events. “Although no special studies have been conducted on this topic, the reason for such behavior may be higher water temperatures,” Ron Farage, assistant curator at Palma Aquarium, told the local publication “Ultima Hora” earlier.
Moreover, these fish are less afraid of people when they are hungrier – and in summer, their natural habitat’s temperature rise stimulates their hunger. At the same time, the expert added that beachgoers should not fear these fish because “they are not poisonous and do not cause any real harm.”
On the contrary – they are often interested in dry human skin or existing wounds, which they may mistake for food.
Marine biologist Silvia García from the organization “Oceana” also told the “Majorca Daily Bulletin” that these are most likely young fish. “These are usually juveniles – only a few days or weeks old; they are so small and transparent that they are barely visible in the water.”
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