Sharks off the Croatian Coast: What's Really Happening in the Adriatic?
You may have come across a video in recent months of a shark appearing just a few dozen metres from the Croatian coast. Similar footage can cause panic on social media within hours. Comments quickly fill with questions: Are there really sharks in Croatia? Are they getting closer to the beaches? Is it safe to swim? And what if I encounter a great white?
The short answer is: yes, sharks live in the Adriatic Sea. And yes, some species can appear quite close to the coast. But that doesn't mean the Adriatic is becoming an unsafe place to swim.
Sharks are a natural part of the Adriatic ecosystem, and their presence here is nothing new.
How many species of sharks actually live in Croatia?
You might be surprised at the diversity of shark fauna in the Adriatic Sea. According to an updated list of cartilaginous fish in Croatian waters, between 1822 and 2022, 30 species of sharks were recorded, in addition to 23 species of rays and sawfishes, and one species of chimaera. Some other records are considered uncertain.
But this certainly doesn't mean that dozens of sharks swim around every Croatian island.
Most species in the Adriatic are rare, live in deeper waters, or appear only occasionally. Newer research from 2026 confirms that more than 30 species are known for the Adriatic, but only a small portion of them are permanently present and numerous. For many species, sightings are sporadic.
And that's precisely what's important when interpreting videos from social media.
One shark filmed near a beach doesn't mean that "sharks are suddenly everywhere."
Why does a shark even approach the coast?
A shark is not a creature that needs to seek out people on beaches. When it appears close to the coast, it usually has a completely different reason.
It might be following prey, passing through a certain area, seeking suitable conditions, or simply continuing its natural migration. Some species, moreover, commonly move in coastal waters, while others only approach the coast occasionally. The Adriatic is a rather specific sea. Its northern part is shallow and significantly different from the deeper southern Adriatic. The southern region reaches much greater depths and offers an environment for species that we would practically not expect in the shallow waters near common tourist beaches.
Therefore, it's not possible to simply say: "There are sharks in Croatia" or "there aren't."
There are. It just depends on what kind, where, when, and under what conditions we are looking.
What about the blue shark?
One of the species that appears in the Adriatic is the blue shark (Prionace glauca).
It is an elegant, slender shark with typical blue colouring, perfectly adapted to life in the open sea. It spends most of its time far from the coast, but under certain circumstances, it can approach the mainland or islands. It does not typically pose a targeted threat to humans. It is important to emphasize this, because the mere presence of a shark in the water does not mean it is a dangerous situation.
A shark can swim several tens of meters from a person and not be interested in them at all.
Great white shark in the Adriatic? Yes, really.
And now for the part that will probably interest most people the most.
Yes, the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) belongs in the Adriatic Sea.
Its presence is not some internet myth. Historically, great whites were recorded more frequently in the eastern Adriatic than today. Older data even suggest that some parts of the Adriatic might have been an important habitat for young individuals. At the same time, research shows a significant decline in the Mediterranean population over recent decades. But that doesn't mean we should expect a great white at every Croatian beach. Its current occurrence in the Adriatic is very rare.
Interestingly, current scientific papers provide new evidence of the presence of young individuals. A study published in 2026 describes two young great whites recorded in the eastern Adriatic – one record from 2018 from the Croatian coast and another from 2025 from Montenegro.
This is an important reminder that the great white has not entirely disappeared from the Adriatic.
It is just much rarer than the media might suggest.
Why was the great white more common in the Adriatic in the past?
There are probably several reasons. One significant factor was the availability of food. Historical data link the presence of great whites in the eastern Adriatic, for example, with a higher abundance of tuna, which was an important part of their diet. However, intensive fishing during the 20th century significantly changed the composition and quantity of large fish in the area. Studies also highlight the broader impacts of fishing on the entire community of cartilaginous fish.
So it's not simply a matter of saying that "sharks left."
Rather, the environment, food availability, and the pressure these slow-growing, late-maturing species are subjected to have changed.
Does a shark near the beach mean danger?
In most cases, no.
However, it's important to distinguish between two things:
a shark sighting
and
a shark incident.
These are not the same situations.
A shark can be observed near people and simply continue on its way. Most shark species actively avoid humans, and their presence in the water itself does not cause for panic.
At the same time, it is incorrect to claim that an attack is absolutely impossible.
Sharks are wild animals, and as with any other large predator, it is appropriate to respect their space.
So, if someone actually spots a shark near the coast, the best reaction is not to scream, chase the animal, or try to swim as close as possible for a photo.
Give it space and calmly get out of the water.
Why do we feel there are suddenly more sharks?
Social media plays a huge role here.
Twenty years ago, someone in Croatia might have seen a shark, and the information would have reached a few people on the beach at most.
Today, someone pulls out a phone, records a ten-second video, uploads it to TikTok or Instagram, and within hours, hundreds of thousands of people can see it.
Suddenly, we feel like: "Sharks are absolutely everywhere this year."
In reality, however, it might only be a few individual sightings that have reached a huge number of people thanks to the internet.
Modern technology also has one huge advantage.
Through photos, videos, and so-called citizen science, scientists can obtain information about the occurrence of rare species that might otherwise go unnoticed. Citizen science, for example, helped document recent records of young great white sharks in the Adriatic.
So a video from a tourist doesn't have to be just a viral sensation.
It can also have real scientific value.
The Adriatic is not a "shark-free sea"
Perhaps this is the most important message of the entire article.
The Adriatic Sea has never been a sea without sharks.
Sharks are a natural part of it, and some species live there long-term. Others only come occasionally. Some inhabit deeper waters, others can move closer to the coast.
And while a person might not encounter a single shark during their entire vacation in Croatia, it doesn't mean they aren't there. We just usually don't see them.
Current scientific data also show that the situation is much more complex than might seem from a few videos on social media. Croatian waters host dozens of species of cartilaginous fish, and a significant portion of them are endangered from a conservation perspective.
What if you see one while swimming?
If you are lucky enough to spot a shark from the beach, there's no need to panic immediately.
The most sensible thing to do is:
- stay calm,
- do not approach it,
- do not try to touch or feed it,
- if you are in the water, calmly and slowly leave it,
- warn other swimmers,
- and if you have a safe opportunity, take a photo or video from a safe distance.
And if you manage to get a good photo of the shark, the photo can even be useful for its identification.
But it's never worth risking your own safety for a shot!
A shark is not an intruder
Perhaps we should look at the whole situation a little differently. When we come to Croatia, we enter an environment that was not created for us. The sea is not a swimming pool, and a shark is not an intruder that "strayed" into it.
It is home there.
The fact that we sometimes spot it close to the coast is not proof that the Adriatic is dangerous. It is rather a reminder that even in one of the most visited European seas, a natural ecosystem still functions. And perhaps we should be glad that we can still glimpse it.
Because while we fear a few rare encounters with sharks, many shark species in the Adriatic face a much more real problem – fishing, food depletion, habitat degradation, and accidental catches. Almost a third of the species recorded in Croatian waters are critically endangered according to the IUCN assessment for the Mediterranean.
So the next time you see a headline "Shark off Croatian beach!", perhaps there's no need to ask only:
"Is it dangerous?"
Try asking also:
"What kind is it? Why did it appear here? And what does its presence tell us about the state of the Adriatic?"
Because a shark in the Adriatic is not a sensation.
It is part of the Adriatic.
And that's why it's worth knowing something about it.
Author: Miri Svobodová
Sources and expert literature
- Udovičić, D. et al. (2026): Conservation Status, Occurrence and Protection of Sharks in Eastern Adriatic Sea. Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries.
- Holcer, D. et al. (2023): Updated Checklist of Chondrichthyan Species in Croatia (Central Mediterranean Sea). Biology.
- New Evidence for the Contemporary Presence of Juvenile White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Adriatic Sea (2025). Fishes.
- Recent observations of two young-of-the-year great white sharks in the Eastern Adriatic Sea (2026). Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria.
- An Annotated Checklist and the Conservation Status of Chondrichthyans in the Adriatic (2022).