You drift peacefully along the water’s surface. The sunshine burns your skin only a little, gently, contrasting the blissful cooling of the water. Your mind doses off into that one time when she… but your stream cuts – you see a fin circling around you. A scene like from a poopy movie, but can it realistically happen to you too? Can you get ambushed by a shark in the waters around Zakynthos? Let’s take a look at the shark situation in Greece.
Are there sharks around Zakynthos?
There are over 40 species of sharks in the Mediterranean Sea – so yes, there are sharks around Zakynthos. The majority of these species, however, are not dangerous to humans. And those sharks which could be dangerous live in the depths of the sea, rarely emerging to the surface whatsoever. They tend to feed on smaller fish and plankton and so they don’t need us for anything in particular – we’re just not all that important for them, truth be told. And if sharks dare creep up to the surface? They tend to end up in fishnets. The sea loses about a hundred million sharks a year this way.
What about their kill count? In all of Greece, over the past 180 years, there have been about 15 recorded shark attacks, not all of them fatal. This might sound kinda scary before you actually think about it at all – this is a country with tens of millions of tourists every year. The victims were usually far from the shore too, further than an average tourist will ever come. Unless you specifically hear the locals warning of a place, we wouldn’t worry much.
Shark legend
If that’s not enough assurance for you, there’s even an old legend on Zakynthos which explains why there are no sharks around the island.
Once upon a time, a huge hungry shark swam in the Ionian Sea. It’s no small task to fill such a big belly, so he hungered for more and more and more. The sea simply didn’t have enough to feed this big boy. So the big boy decided that there must be something else he can eat – and so, he bit into Cape Gerakas. The shark instantly realised that, though the logic seemed sound before the bite, it sure felt like a silly idea in retrospect. Embarrassed, the huge shark swam away and never showed his fin in that part of Greece ever again. You can still see the tooth-bitten land by finding the outermost part of the Vassilikos peninsula, the Cape Gerakas.
Remember kids, desperate hunger brings pretty bad ideas sometimes.
If not for the shark, what to look out for on Zakynthos?
If you get bored of the beautiful sandy beaches and decide to visit a pebbly one for a change, you better get some decent shoes, as sea urchins like to hide in the clear and warm coastal water. Stepping on one is a very, very painful experience, with such a wound sometimes taking up to two weeks to heal. Fortunately, they’re quite rare.
Also watch out for jellyfish. Coming into any contact with their tentacles can leave a severe burn too.
Thus, sadly, if your dream was to meet a shark, you’ll be disappointed. They don’t seem to be too interested in meeting us.
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