Overview

• An 85-year-old Italian tourist suffered a deep bite wound to her calf at Ballermann 6 on July 22, prompting lifeguards to evacuate the beach and enforce a no-swim order.
• Media initially speculated about a blue shark attack but experts from Palma Aquarium and the Balearic Fisheries Directorate have ruled out sharks based on the wound’s irregular shape.
• Scientific assessments now point to aggressive species like triggerfish or stingrays as more probable culprits given their behaviors and the absence of typical shark bite marks.
• Rescue teams scoured the waters by jet ski without locating the responsible marine animal before replacing red flags with yellow and green signals later that afternoon.
• Beach operations have returned to normal under green flags as authorities await forensic analyses to confirm the exact species behind the attack.