FAMILIES gathered around an eight-foot shark pulled onto a Majorcan beach after sending hundreds of holidaymakers running from the sea earlier today.

The blue shark, thought to have been harpooned, came close to the shore at three popular Majorcan beaches before it was dragged from the water by lifeguards earlier on and put down.

10 Families gathered around the shark after it was pulled from the water after approaching the shore Credit: Solarpix

10 The shark behind the closure of a string of Majorca holiday beaches was later caught today Credit: Solarpix

10 A terrified family run from the shark in the water - seen in the top right corner of the photo Credit: Solarpix

10 The shark was put down after experts said it was too badly injured to survive

10 The blue shark sparked mayhem on the Spanish beach leading swimmers to race out of the water Credit: Tim Prottey_Jones

The large fish with the tell-tale fin was spotted near swimmers in Illetas close to Magaluf just after midday on Saturday.

It was later pictured on the beach after it was caught by lifeguards and taken to shore at about 5pm.

Local reports said it had a serious head injury, caused by a harpoon, which was why it had approached the packed beaches.

Tourists and locals could be seen following behind, taking pictures on their mobile phones and selfies of themselves by the injured shark, before it was put into a Palma Aquarium emergency rescue vehicle.

One of the aquarium employees said the shark had suffered “irreversible damage”.

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He said: “After a close examination by experts, a hook was found inside its mouth which had caused it irreversible damage.”

The spokesman said it had been given a sedative to minimise its suffering before being put down.

The ocean-dwelling predator came and went within five minutes, sparking pandemonium causing swimmers to race out of the water.

One man was trapped and unable to get back in to shore so a lifeguard paddled out to rescue him.

Musician Tim Prottey-Jones, 27, was with wife An­g­ela, 36, when he snapped the beast. He said: “At least 100 people were in the water. Two minutes later it was deserted.

“Parents were picking up their kids, running out and shouting at others to leave. My wife was just about to go for a swim, but suddenly everyone was running out of the water.

“I shouted to her that there was a shark, but she thought I was joking — then she saw it too.”

Earlier Can Pastilla beach, a short drive east of the Majorcan capital Palma, had become the third beach in two days to be closed to bathers following a shark sighting.

10 A swimmer pictured near the predator on the Spanish holiday island Credit: Solarpix

10 A blue shark is pictured near the shore in Majorca Credit: Solarpix

10 Despite the panic, the shark came and went within five minutes Credit: Solarpix

Illetas beach near the holiday resorts of Magaluf and Palmanova became the first beach to be closed around midday yesterday.

Cala Major beach just west of Palma was declared off limits to swimmers this morning following a second sighting.

The fish is thought to have moved close to the shore after becoming disorientated before vanishing after swimming back out to sea.

A blue shark was blamed for an attack on a swimmer off a popular Ibiza holiday beach last month which left him needed emergency hospital treatment.

The Spanish pensioner was treated for a two-inch gash to his hand just over a week ago after being bitten off the beach at Playa d’en Bossa.

Several people are said to have left the water after the incident, although the beach was not closed to swimmers.

Blue shark are one of the most common species of sharks in the Mediterranean.

The same type of shark was blamed for an attack on a holidaymaker in Elche near Alicante last July.

10 No one was injured during the terrifying incident Credit: Solarpix

10 The shark appeared in Illetas which is near popular British tourist spot Magaluf Credit: Solarpix

The 40-year-old victim was rushed to hospital and given stitches to a wound in his hand.

The drama happened at Elche’s Arenales del Sol beach where the red flag was kept in place for around two hours when bathers were allowed back in the water.

Tourists were ordered out of the water last August in the Costa del Sol resort of Fuengirola after bathers said they had spotted a shark.

On Friday a beach in Valencia, eastern Spain, was closed after a shark sighting.

Bathers were allowed back in the water at Patacona beach after around two and a half hours.

ON PROWL 24 HOURS A DAY THE blue shark has a large, slender body with a long, rounded snout and dorsal fin.It has a distinct metallic blue on its back and flanks with a pure white underbelly for ocean camouflage.The sharks have 14 upper teeth and be­tween 13 and 15 lower teeth that are each triangular and curved with serrated edges.Males tend to grow to between 1.8m and 2.9m (5.9ft to 9.5ft) by five years old.Females are fully grown at six and hit between 2.2m and 3.2m (7.2ft to 10.5ft). All hunt 24 hours a day, with increased activity at night.

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