For at least three summers, El Médano beach, in the southern municipality of Granadilla, has been the scene of a curious natural phenomenon. In a very specific corner of this busy southern coastline, and coinciding between high and low seas, a litter of baby dogfish approaches the shore and swims quietly a few meters from where hundreds of bathers do. It has happened practically daily during the month of August and the fry sharks did not stop doing it despite the numerous onlookers who came to the unique marine ‘nursery’, located next to one of the pillars that support the Médano hotel. In that corner, with barely half a meter of water height, up to six baby dogfish have been seen swimming together these days, about 30 centimeters in length.
The marine biologist Jacobo Marrero, doctor in Marine Biology from the University of La Laguna, acknowledged to DIARIO DE AVISOS that he was not aware of this phenomenon in El Médano, but, nevertheless, pointed out that it is common to see baby dogfish on other beaches in the region. island, such as Las Gaviotas and Benijos. “The first thing to clarify,” Marrero stressed, “is that it is not a security problem. These hatchlings are harmless if left alone. Besides, they barely have teeth ”. In fact, there has been no incident here between baby shark and bathers, despite the many onlookers who come to the ‘nursery’. “If they are usually in that area,” said the biologist, “it is because it is a place where they feel safe, they are protected from predators and fishermen and they have enough food.”
The marine expert clarified that there is no risk that the mother dogfish is prowling in the surroundings, “since the behavior of the adult female of this species is to approach the beach to give birth and then completely ignore the offspring”, which have to subsist without the protection or help of their parents.
Marrero, who is also the scientific director of the Tonina Association, explained that this behavior of the baby dogfish in El Médano may also be conditioned by the warming of the sea due to climate change, and by human pressure. “In any case, it is a pride to have these babies living on the beach and we should do everything possible not to disturb them. We must learn to share the environment with natural species ”.
The dogfish (Galeorhinus galeus) is a silver-gray fish belonging to the shark family. Its maximum size is 2 meters and it can weigh up to 45 kilos. It lives near coastal areas, on sandy bottoms. It is highly appreciated by fishermen because its meat is the main ingredient of a very popular gastronomic dish in the Islands, the tollos.
