The Strait of Messina is an ideal habitat for shark reproduction. And as the summer season approaches, it’s time for swimming. And for the luckiest the opportunity to dive into the sea is as close as ever. But the hidden fear of seeing a fin floating around you at the edge of the water sometimes resurfaces, it must be said, a little in all of our heads. This time it really happened near the shore of Reggio Calabria, more precisely in the waters in front of the Pentimele area, in the northern outskirts of Reggio, on 24 April 2024. “This is a white shark”, say the amazed fishermen as they observe what is happening in front their boat.” In the recorded images you can see the dogfish spinning near the boat, perhaps due to the bait thrown into the water, and then taking off again. It is certainly a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias Linnaeus, 1758), and belongs to the Lamnidae family, i.e. the large ones. Are there white sharks in the Mediterranean? Yes. Information is limited, however it is possible that they have inhabited this sea for a very long time. And, probably, in the past the specimens were much more numerous. In reality, since the dawn of time, the depths of the Strait of Messina have been inhabited by countless aquatic species of rare beauty that gather in these waters so rich in nutrients. Among these there are also various specimens of sharks, which we can consider as native species of the Strait, which represents the ideal habitat for searching for food, even for species accustomed to living at great depths. Yet we know little about the people who live in one of the most crowded seas in the world: the Mediterranean. Information on the actual absolute number doesn’t actually exist. “It’s impossible to know,” explains Dr. Diana D’Agata, Veterinary Surgeon in the United Kingdom. “There could be a few dozen, or a few hundred.” As for the dangers associated with a possible close encounter, sharks “often run away” from humans, explains the expert, but our unexpected action can lead to “their reaction with a bite”. Overall, the total number of shark attacks in the modern era within the Mediterranean is decidedly modest, particularly when considering the relatively small volume of water and the huge number of people who exploit it for entertainment or work. Regardless of the conditions of sharks in that area, therefore, humans are unlikely to have much to fear. With a ratio of over 100 million sharks killed by humans to four humans killed by sharks each year, they are always the first to suffer the worst consequences. But the presence of the most infamous specimen off the Italian coast, notes Giovanni D’Agata, president of the “Rights Office”, is still a thrilling thought even if, overall, we don’t know much about this species. And our chances of meeting it will probably be less and less: according to the opinion of experts, the populations of this demanding predator are in decline, just like those of many other species in the Mediterranean. “This situation is not unique to white sharks, but there is evidence to suggest that many other shark species have also suffered notable declines over the past 50 years, becoming infrequent or rare as a result of overfishing of sharks or their prey. ” concludes Dr. D’Agata. To get to know this formidable creature better, we will probably need more sightings, more images of specimens hanging by their tails and more amateur films of dramatic encounters such as that of the boaters of Reggio Calabria.
