La Unión, Guerrero — Surfers at Playa la Saladita in the municipality of La Unión reported the sighting of sharks swimming very close to shore. At least two sharks were videoed swimming in shallow waters off the popular beach area.
The 19-second clip was taken by beachgoer Rolo P. Hernández, who was able to quickly capture the two fish, which have since been identified as lemon sharks, each being about two meters in length.
Zihuatanejo marine biologist and diver Frederic Bouchet, pointed out that the presence of sharks is due to the cold water currents caused by La Niña. He says people need to respect their presence since they are in their habitat.
He said that the shark in the video is known as the lemon shark, “unlike the bull shark, which we had rather tragic experiences with a few years ago. The interesting thing is that there is this species on the shores of Guerrero and we are so lucky.
“Another interesting thing is that this is synonymous with good sea-health, that is, where there is a lot of shark, it is because there is a good amount of fish.” He says the news of sharks along the coast should not cause “some form of panic that the shark is a predator, but that it is respected. We have to learn to live with it and not repeat mistakes of the past of having hunted them for the attacks on tourists, but to take advantage of their presence in a sustainable way. We must not be afraid of them, but have respect for them,” he explained.
Last month in Playa del Carmen, a popular beach in the city’s north was shut to swimmers for several days after lifeguards spotted sharks off shore.
