A terrifying scene unfolded at a popular beach in Marbella when swimmers spotted what appeared to be a massive shark thrashing just offshore. Some beachgoers rushed out of the water, while others moved closer to get a better look.
But the frightening creature was not a shark at all. The animal turned out to be a giant tuna weighing around 650 pounds that had become distressed in the shallow water.
Swimmer races away from apparent shark
Footage filmed at Ancon Beach on Marbella’s Golden Mile captured the huge fish moving violently near the shoreline. From a distance, its size and shape made it easy to mistake it for a shark.
One swimmer was seen trying to get away from the animal as other people scrambled toward the beach. While some appeared frightened, others gathered nearby after realizing the creature was not a predator.
Huge tuna left struggling in shallow water
The tuna continued thrashing around as increasing numbers of beachgoers watched from the shore. The water reportedly turned red as the fish appeared to suffer bleeding around its gills.
The cause of the injury was not immediately confirmed, although fishing equipment or a collision with a jet ski were suggested as possible explanations. The fish’s condition appeared to have left it struggling to make its way back into deeper water.
Beachgoers try to rescue the fish
Once people realized the animal was a tuna in distress, the mood on the beach changed. Instead of fleeing from it, several beachgoers attempted to help the enormous fish return to the sea.
According to reports, people used sun loungers and deck chairs to help guide or push the tuna toward deeper water. Jade Bloomberg, a British expatriate who runs a Marbella-based water sports and wellness company, also entered the water to check whether the fish was trapped in a net.
Locals stunned by unexpected sight
The unusual encounter quickly attracted attention, with witnesses comparing the initial scene to something from the movie “Jaws.” One local commenter joked that the only thing missing was the famous music from the 1975 thriller.
Others admitted they would have been terrified if they had been the swimmer who first encountered the fish. From the water, the tuna’s movements and enormous size apparently made it look remarkably similar to a shark.
Why giant tuna sometimes come close to shore
Tuna are powerful open-water fish, but they can sometimes be seen relatively close to coastlines. Their presence near a beach does not necessarily indicate that a shark is nearby.
In this case, the fish appeared to be in distress rather than approaching swimmers. The incident nevertheless shows how quickly an unusual animal encounter can cause panic when its identity is unclear, especially in shallow coastal water where large marine animals can appear much bigger and more threatening than expected.
Featured Image: Photo by Young Shih on Unsplash
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