Last Monday, 8 am, 3 nautical miles, or 5 km from the mouth of the Rhône, opposite Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône.
A fin stands out on the horizon, off the protected marine area of the Camargue... As they approach, the boaters, on a morning stroll, cannot believe their eyes... A few moments later, the passengers of the boat realize that they are not dealing with a big blue shark or a mako used to Mediterranean waters but a great white shark!
The latter comes to play the curious, even brushing their skiff, which has become as frail as a walnut shell – for a moment – facing the 5 m white-bellied dogfish that has come to tickle their hull!
In total, the largest existing marine predator will stay close to the boat for almost 5 minutes.
But the sea "monster" does not linger in front of this piece of carbon fiber and iron which does not have the flavor of a bluefin tuna, or a sea turtle, its usual menu.
The scientists on board the boat got off with a bit of a scare, and welcome this exceptional encounter of the 3rd type.
For Nicolas Ziani, of the Phocaean Shark Study Group (in case of observation of sharks and rays at sea or on the coast contact the GPER), there is no doubt, the animal observed is a female. Mediterranean white shark (Carcharodon carcharias, its scientific name).
"Love Bites"
“On the video there are bites and traces of teeth all over the body of the animal which indicates that the animal is a female which was bitten during mating, these are love bites, analyzes the scientific.
Typically, it is a Mediterranean great white shark with a more brownish color on the back”.
It's definitely shark summer, after a number of sharks, especially blue sharks, have been spotted very close to our shores.
But that a great white shark, which is moreover Mediterranean, approaches so close to a population area, is obviously unprecedented.
The last sighting, and distant, of a great white in the Gulf of Lion, dated back to 2012.
“The presence of the great white shark is strongly correlated with that of bluefin tuna for its diet in the Mediterranean.
Bluefin tuna stocks have been recovering for a few years since the strict fishing regulations on the species have been put in place”, underlines our shark specialist.
This female shark would thus be passing through the region to feed in the middle of the gestation period, which often lasts more than a year.
Its destination, the Sicily Channel, which goes from Messina to the Gulf of Gabès in Tunisia, serves as a nursery for the species.
Until 2018, 98% of the species was considered extinct in the Mediterranean.
“In fact, this observation is a good sign.
In my opinion, the species is in the process of being repopulated thanks in particular to marine protected areas,” says Nicolas Ziani.
In 2021, there were only about 250 adult individuals in the Mediterranean, according to data from the IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature).