A great white shark has been spotted in Spanish waters for the first time in 30 years.

The five-metre (16.4ft) predator was seen in the Cabrera archipelago national park, south of Majorca in the Balearic Islands on Thursday.

It was tracked for 70 minutes by a team from Alnitak, a Spanish conservation project.

A British woman, Georgina Stevens, was among the 10-strong crew from five different countries who documented the fish's journey.

The group published a photo of the "historic sighting", promising more footage and images later.


"What a beautiful sight!" said a caption from the group on Instagram. "Sharks are an essential part of a healthy ocean ecosystem."

"Over the years there have been unconfirmed sightings and rumours.

"But this is the first scientific confirmation of the presence of Carcharodon (the great white's scientific name) in Spanish waters for at least 30 years."

The last confirmed shark attack in Spain was near Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands.

A 13-year-old boy suffered lacerations to his foot but escaped alive, according to the Global Shark Attack File (GSAF).

In England, the last confirmed attack was in 2008, recorded as a "provoked incident" by the GSAF.