Source: Wikimedia Commons

Swimmers and surfers beware: Several whitetip reef sharks, Triaenodon obesus, have been sighted, photographed and filmed over the last few days in both Playa Langosta and Playa Avellanas, both part of Costa Rica’s Gold Coast in the province of Guanacaste. Although sharks are known to swim in the “Barco Hundido” (Shipwreck Alley) underwater spot between Langosta and Avellanas, they seem to be coming closer to shore to feed during high tide.

According to Angie Guerreo of online news daily CRHoy.com, video of a shark calmly swimming just meters from the shoreline located right between Avellanas and Langosta is attaining viral status on Facebook. On Saturday, a photographer snapped pictures of several sharks feeding on schools of fish on the Hacienda Pinilla portion of Playa Langosta around 11:00 a.m.

Officer Jose Miguel Gutierrez of the National Coast Guard Service explained to CRHoy.com that reef sharks are common in Shipwreck Alley, an area where several boats have been lost or otherwise scuttled. Over time, the wrecks become artificial reefs brimming with marine life, including whitetips. Officer Gutierrez commented about the potential risk to swimmers:

“There should not be any danger because this area is off limits to swimmers. It’s mostly anglers and scuba divers who come here. It’s not a nature conservation area and the beach can only be accessed on foot.”

Although local residents know better than to swim at Shipwreck Alley, tourists are not aware of the restriction, and there are no signs to warn them about this. Unlike larger selachians such as great whites and bull sharks, whitetip reef sharks are not known to be aggressive towards humans, although they are generally curious and will get close to swimmers and surfers. For this reason, they are also easy targets for spear fishermen.

Earlier this month, The Costa Rica Star reported on the work of oceanography researchers involved in a project to identify the most dangerous beaches in this country. An interactive map with data from 2012 is now available online and will be updated in the near future.