Piranha-like: dozens of tourists complain of bites at popular Spanish resort
Dozens of vacationers at the famous Spanish resort of Benidorm in the city of Alicante, part of Valencia, have complained of being bitten by piranha-like fish. Predators of the black-tailed Oblada melanura, which terrorize people, target birthmarks and wounds.
After interacting with these fish, bloody marks remain, writes Express. The wounds remain on the arms, legs and back.
More than 15 people vacationing on Poniente beach have started to seek help every day after swimming. It is reported that the elderly are the most affected, with moles, warts or small wounds on their skin.
Blacktail bites are compared to piranha attacks. Experts explain that the reason for the attacks on tourists lies in the high water temperature, which sometimes reaches 29-30 degrees.
According to the Institute of Coastal Ecology, similar cases have been recorded since 2017. The black-tailed pufferfish, a species of perch-like fish, should not swim up to people, but the heat makes them hungry.
Because of this, the fish swim to the shore and look for "victims" from which they smell particularly strong meat. They can be recognized by a dark spot on their tails.
Tourists at other Spanish resorts have also reported similar attacks in previous years. These include beaches on the Costa Brava and in Catalonia.