The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in Lanzarote, at Playa Honda beach. A woman, whose identity is not disclosed, was wading in shallow water around 4 p.m. when she suddenly felt a strong blow to her foot.
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It turned out that under the sea floor sand was almost completely camouflaged a young shark, also called a monkfish – a rare bottom-dwelling species that usually lurks hidden, waiting for prey. Usually only its eyes are visible, while the rest of the body is hidden under the sand.
It is believed that the woman accidentally stepped on the animal, and it instinctively reacted – biting in defense or trying to escape.
Witnesses said they saw the woman trying to free herself by kicking, and people on the beach who first heard her screams were frightened, thinking a serious accident had occurred.
Fortunately, the injury was not severe – the woman washed the wound with soap and water and applied an antibiotic cream to prevent infection.
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Why do such incidents happen?
Experts explain that these sharks usually do not attack people unless provoked – for example, by accidentally stepping on them.
Therefore, in areas where such sharks live, it is recommended to walk gently through sandy shallows by pushing feet along the bottom rather than lifting them. This way the animal senses the vibration and usually moves away on its own.
In recent weeks, there have also been much more tragic shark incidents worldwide. In Australia, two men died within ten days – one was attacked by a great white shark near Perth, the other, a spearfishing enthusiast, near Queensland. However, the Canary Islands case is considered by specialists as a defensive reaction of the animal, not a predatory attack.
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