A woman identified as Dagmara Maceira recorded a video from the shore of Siboney beach in Santiago de Cuba, in which she reported the presence of a shark just a few meters away from where her daughters were swimming.
The sighting occurred on Sunday, when beachgoers saw the animal approaching the shore in the afternoon. According to witnesses, the shark measured approximately two meters, and its behavior suggested that it might be sick or injured.
In the video posted on Facebook, Maceira shows the beach practically empty, with bathers taking refuge on the sand, and points out the exact spot where the animal was just moments before.
«That shark was right here, look, just close by... right there was the shark and the girls were swimming right here nearby,» she recounted with evident distress, claiming that no one had warned the public about the danger.
In another post on social media, Maceira was more emphatic in her complaint: "It's unbelievable how there have been sharks at Siboney beach for days and no one is saying anything, there is no warning on the beach, swimming has not been banned, the beach has not been closed, nothing is happening, no one is saying anything, where are those responsible for this? It's a serious danger, for God's sake."
The woman acknowledged that fear prevented her from recording the animal directly: “I couldn’t capture video due to fear and the rush,” she wrote, but clarified that the spotted shark was small and that they only saw one, although there were reports circulating that there were more.
It was two days after the sighting, on Tuesday, when the Aquatic Security authorities of Santiago de Cuba ordered the temporary suspension of swimming in Siboney.
The official alert was issued by Aris Arias Batalla, the provincial director of Operations and Rescue for Aquatic Safety, who confirmed that the animal remained in the area: “I have been informed that it continues to roam the coastline of Siboney.”
Despite the closure, Arias acknowledged that the measure was not respected by everyone: "A few minutes ago, I contacted a volunteer and resident of the area who stated that despite the warnings, there are people inside the beach," he pointed out.
To address the situation, several organizations were activated: the XX Anniversary Polyclinic, the Risk Management Center, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA), the Lifeguard Corps, and collaborators from the Red Cross residing in the area.
Siboney is the most popular beach resort in Santiago de Cuba, located about 15 km east of the capital city, and it sees its highest influx of visitors between June and September, during the summer and school vacation season.
The incident is not the first of its kind in Cuba. In May, a shark weighing over 500 kg was captured at Yumurí beach in Baracoa, and in December 2024, several sharks swam near the shore at Cayo Santa María in Villa Clara, forcing the evacuation of swimmers.
Historically, shark attacks in Cuba are very rare: between 1749 and 2023, approximately 47 incidents were recorded throughout the archipelago, with 23 confirmed deaths.
The last recorded fatal attack occurred in November 2017 in Guardalavaca, Holguín, where a 22-year-old young man lost his life.
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