Outcry after injured shark that terrified tourists near Magaluf is captured and killed

A shark which terrified tourists in Magaluf has been killed after being captured.

It was claimed the blue shark unsettled tourists across three resorts before it was brought to shore.

The shark was carried off the beach by the experts called in to inspect it, helped by lifeguards and local police.

The animal was killed after it suffered injuries following the capture.

The eight-foot shark was spotted near swimmers in Illetas close to Magaluf just after midday on Saturday.

Extraordinary photos taken by stunned onlookers show the shark swimming towards a group of people including children on lilos. Blue sharks have only been implicated in 32 biting incidents, with just four of those being fatal, since the year 1580. They usually prefer to swim in waters at least 1,150 feet (350 meters) deep.

Regardless of this, tourists were frightened by the animal, which was seen swimming very close to the shore.

A local aquarium employee said it had suffered "irreversible damage".

There was criticism from some on social media over the decision to euthanise the shark. "The shark was the only one who was in its environment and it ended up dead," one commenter wrote.

Experts from Palma Aquarium, who put down the shark, said it did so because the animal was in poor health and would not have survived. 

The shark had already been spotted near a number of beaches around the island and on Saturday had caused panic in the cove of Cala Nova. Said to be acting disorientated, the animal was next seen near the beach of Cala Major on Sunday morning, prompting a ban on swimming for several hours. It was caught by a team from the aquarium team at around 5pm on Sunday at Can Pastilla.

"That of this Sunday was the fifth time the animal has tried to come into shore on the beaches of Mallorca. After a detailed assessment by experts, a fish hook was detected in the mouth of the animal, which has caused it irreversible damage. With the aim of not prolonging the unnecessary suffering of the fish, the exercise of said measure (euthanasia) was the only option," the aquarium said in a statement.

It is not the first time swimmers have encountered blue sharks near Spanish beaches. In May 2016, another sick animal was put down after being spotted around the island over a period of several days.

In July last year, a 40-year-old man was bitten on the hand while swimming off a beach in Alicante by what was believed to be a blue shark.

The aquarium confirmed the animal had been given a sedative to minimise its suffering before being put down. 

A spokesman for Calvia Council, which covers Illetas, confirmed the blue shark had approached the shoreline between midday and 1pm on Saturday and said it was thought to be the same one seen on Sunday.

She added: “It approached the beach at Illetas yesterday/on Saturday between 12 and 1pm.

“It was kept under control and the beach is being watched as well today.

“The one seen off Cala Major appears to be the same one. It has been kept under close watch since early morning.”

Humans are much more of a danger to blue sharks than they are to us: it is estimated around 10 to 20 million of the animals are killed every year.

They are caught in fishermen's nets and killed for shark fin soup.