Latest news with #Fuerteventura
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Hydrofoil Surfer Chomped by 8-Foot Shark in Canary Islands
On Sunday, a UK man was downwind hydrofoil surfing off the coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, when a suspected 8-foot mako shark attacked his board and leg. The wounds were described as 'deep,' although the unidentified victim is expected to recover. Two large bite wounds above the man's knee can be seen in reports from the attack. Initially, the shark chomped the board, leaving noticeable gnaw marks, then it went for the flesh. Even though the man was out in open waters, in the Los Molinos area of the island, he was able to escape the shark following the attack, and make it safely to shore. From there, he was treated by emergency services. Although shark attacks are rare in the Spanish archipelago, which sits off the coast of northwestern Africa, they have happened in the past. Sadly, last year, a 31-year-old German woman died in the waters near the Canaries when she was attacked by a shark. The woman had been traveling via catamaran, then she decided to take a dip alongside the boat. A shark attacked her, ripped off her leg, and she reportedly suffered a heart attack. She was airlifted to a hospital on Gran Canaria, where she was pronounced Canary Islands have long been a rogue and rustic destination for surfers, particularly those in Europe, due to the proximity. With heaving slabs wide open to Atlantic Ocean swells, they have often been called Europe's equivalent to Hawaii. As for the shark in this rare attack in the Canaries, according to NOAA: 'Shortfin mako sharks are aggressive predators that feed near the top of the food web on marine fishes such as bluefish, swordfish, tuna, marine mammals, and other sharks.'Hydrofoil Surfer Chomped by 8-Foot Shark in Canary Islands first appeared on Surfer on Jul 23, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
7 days ago
- The Independent
Shark bites surfer's leg in bloody attack off Canary Island's coast
A surfer was badly injured after he was attacked by a shark off the Canary Islands. The man was using a hydrofoil board about two miles west of Fuerteventura on Sunday when the incident occurred in open waters. The Los Molinos area is known for occasional shark sightings. After attacking his board, the shark sunk his teeth into the surfer's leg, leaving behind two bloody wounds above the knee, local media reported. He managed to scramble back to the shore for safety and was later treated by emergency services. Spanish TV channel Antena 3 described the wounds as 'deep'. While several shark species, including hammerheads and angel sharks, are known to swim in the area, they do not typically attack humans. Authorities have warned beachgoers to proceed with caution when venturing far from the shore, local media said. The shark attack is the latest in a series of similar incidents as holidaymakers head to the seaside. Earlier this week, a savage fish attacked an 85-year-old Italian woman while swimming in Majorca 's Palma beach. And in April, a man died after a shark attack off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The remains, discovered after a two-day search, were identified as those of the victim, whom Israeli media named as Barak Tzach, a man in his 40s and a father of four. Environmental changes and increasing water temperatures are believed to push some marine species closer to the shore. In a close encounter with a shark, beachgoers are advised to maintain eye contact and slowly move away, according to Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File. 'If the shark tries to bite you: Hit the shark in the eyes and gills - sensitive areas that can be hurt regardless of personal strength; Hit the shark on the snout and push away - water-resistance weakens your punch,' the file added. However, the number of shark bites recorded around the world last year is markedly down from 2023, according to the shark attack database. In 2024, there were only 47 unprovoked attacks, down by 22 from the previous year and well below the 10-year average of 67.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
British mother on holiday in Spain causes outrage after reserving EIGHT sunbeds for her family at the pool - before going out for the day
A mother has been caught up in the great sunbed debate after revealing she gets up early to reserve eight loungers for her family - before heading off for breakfast and a shopping trip. Stephanie is currently on holiday in Fuerteventura in Las Palmas, Spain, with her partner and six children, and has faced a common dilemma affecting holidaymakers across the continent - the battle for a spot around the pool. The 29-year-old mother from Wales revealed her answer to securing sun loungers is to wake up at the crack of dawn to place towels on the beds, before going about her morning as normal. Posting a clip of her strategy on TikTok, Stephanie argued she has a 'big family' and so needs to take drastic measures to ensure they're all comfortable during the day. The video - which racked up 120,000 views - was met with criticism from viewers who questioned why she had taken up spaces at the pool during the height of summer. Stephanie told her followers: 'First things first, we have to claim our sunbeds at the pool area. We have come as a big family so we have to be there early.' However, instead of spending the first hours of daylight soaking up the Spanish rays, took her brood out for breakfast and a shopping trip - while their towels remained on the empty sunbeds. The family travelled into the town where they tucked into a traditional English breakfast at a cafe they had visited 'every single day' of the trip so far. She said the baked beans, sausages, black pudding, bacon, hash browns, tomato, toast and eggs were 'amazing', while her children opted to tuck into a frittata and pancakes. After tucking into their cooked breakfasts, the family set off on a shopping trip in the area, searching for holiday souvenirs in tourist shops. But it wasn't until they'd finished purchasing clothes that they returned to their hotel, where they then enjoyed the pool and the loungers, after seemingly spending a couple of hours sightseeing. This angered some viewers who commented their thoughts on the clip, with one writing: 'I can't believe you claim the sunbeds and then leave.' Another penned: 'Why claim sun beds if you're going out for the day?' A third said: 'All hotels should do the same thing. After 30 minutes of not being on sun lounger, towels are removed and other people get them.' A fourth commented: 'Sorry but your towels would be in the pool.' Elsewhere on her profile, Stephanie - who is a 'mummy to five boys and one girl' -was also unclear about whether her annual leave had been approved by her work. She filmed her Ryanair flight taking off and said: 'Too late when you're in another country.' Stephanie also wrote in another clip 'School: Your child is absent' and accompanied it with a video of her young daughter paddling around the pool in the resort. '[She's] living her best life,' the content creator wrote. The reignition of the sun lounger debate comes as the UK regions with the worst offenders for sun bed snatchers was revealed - with the West Midlands topping the list. Brits who live in this area are most likely to get up early when they're on holiday in order to reserve their sunbed. This was closely followed by people living in England's North West and North East, Wales and Northern Ireland. The results come from a YouGov survey of more than 2,500 UK adults, who were asked about their part in the so-called 'sunbed wars'. Those living in the South West and Yorkshire and the Humber are least likely to spring out of bed to snatch a lounger. Across the UK, 12 per cent of those asked admitted to this behaviour – with people in Northern Ireland and Wales just above the UK average, and Scotland coming in at 10 per cent. Though over one in ten revealed this habit, it marks a decrease from the 72 per cent who admitted doing so five years ago, according to GetYourGuide, an online marketplace for travel activities. Benjy Potter, a spokesperson for the company, said this shows that 'the days of getting up at the crack of dawn to simply sit are fading fast' – though footage on social media from this summer shows the dawn scramble is very much still a thing. Sunbed snatchers: Which area is guilty of breaking poolside rules? Region % of those of admit to waking upearly to reserve a lounger West Midlands 15 Wales 13 North East England 13 North West England 13 Northern Ireland 13 East of England 12 London 12 South East England 12 East Midlands 10 Scotland 10 Yorkshire and the Humber 8 South West England 8 But it seems that some habits are harder to break. The research revealed that almost a quarter of Brits still indulge in a full English breakfast at the airport before jetting off. Booze has been given a brush-off, with 30 per cent of UK travellers saying they drink less alcohol on holiday now than they did five years ago. Only 12 per cent admit having a tipple at the airport before flying, with those in the North East (18 per cent) most likely to hit up Wetherspoons for a pint.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Shark attack off Brit hols hotspot Canary Islands as surfer mauled by beast & left with deep gashes on leg
A SURFER was bitten by shark in a horror attack just off the second largest Canary island. The man was hovering above the waters of Fuerteventura, practising the sport of Downward Foiling when the shark attacked his board and bit him deeply in the leg. 2 2 Spanish TV channel Antena 3 reported on the terrifying attack, explaining that the man was practising downwind foiling - a sport where a surfer uses a hydrofoil board to glide smoothly over the ocean's surface. The outlet published a video showing two bloody gashes just below the man's knee. His wounds - described as "deep" - gave rise to panic. Luckily, no tragedy occurred, and the man was able to make his way back to the shore in the area of Los Molinos, located on the west coast of Fuerteventura. No details are given about how the man fought off the shark. Sharks have been spotted before off Fuerteventura and beaches have had to be closed when jet ski patrols raised the alert. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Shark knocks man off his hydrofoil surfboard and savages him in the water in rare attack off Spanish holiday island
A man has been attacked by a shark in the Canary Islands. The horrifying incident happened two miles west of Fuerteventura, where sharks have been spotted on several occasions The man was practising the relatively new sport of Downwind foiling, which involves a hydrofoil surfboard that hovers a few feet above the water. Spanish TV channel Antena 3 reports that the man was in the water when the shark attacked his board and bit him on the leg. The media outlet published a video showing two bloody gashes just below the knee. The wounds were described as 'deep' and gave rise to panic. No details were given about how the man fought off the shark, but he was able to get back to the shore in the area of Los Molinos, a small hamlet nestled between cliffs on the west coast of Fuerteventura, popular with tourists and locals. Sharks have been spotted before off Fuerteventura, and beaches have had to be closed when jet ski patrols raised the alert over the sea creatures near the shore. Last September, a 30-year-old woman died from her injuries after her leg was ripped off by a shark in the middle of the ocean as she was on a catamaran off the coast of Western Sahara. The woman, who was said to be a crew member aboard the British-flagged catamaran, died after going for a dip in the sea. She was rushed to a hospital by Spanish Air Force helicopter following the attack, which took place 278 miles south-west of Gran Canaria's airport. However, the woman was pronounced dead after being evacuated to nearby Doctor Negrin Hospital, located in the Gran Canarian capital of Las Palmas. Since records began, there have been only seven recorded instances of shark attacks on humans in the Canary Islands. None of them have been fatal.
