Shark Appears off Coast of Lebanon Sparks Panic (VIDEO)

A clip documenting the appearance of a shark in the Mediterranean sea spread on social media in Lebanon, which sparked panic in the region.

In the clip, it was said that it was near the beach of the city of Jounieh.

قرش في جونية والATCL تقفل مسبحها

وعلى الفور منع المنتجع المذكور رواده من النزول إلى شاطئ البحر بهدف تجنب أي حادثة من كارثية#سمك_القرش #لبنان #جونية #atcl pic.twitter.com/RvWgSKH9UX

— LebyNews (@lebynews) June 22, 2023

This event prompted the authorities to close some beaches, according to local media, and environmental associations issued a warning about the dangers of Sharks.

Meantime, Al-Jadeed TV explained that these videos are old and not recent, while the Lebanese Civil Defense published a video of the head of the Maritime Rescue Unit, Samir Yazbek, in which he explained the truth of what is happening.

Yazbek stressed that "the Lebanese coast is just a place where sharks cross the Lebanese coast to a faraway place."

He explained, "After conducting patrols, we see dolphins so far ... and from far away, there could be a possibility of a shark, but it is just crossing, as pelicans cross, to another deep waters."

Manal Nader, director of the Environmental Institute at the University of Balamand, told L'Orient-Le Jour that the Mediterranean Sea is home to more than 45 species of sharks, but "they are all (or almost all) harmless."

She added: "Their behavior differs significantly from sharks found in the Pacific or other seas," he said, adding that typically they do not approach coastlines. "In Lebanon, we have no history of shark attacks." He criticized over fishing of fish."