A blue shark in the Amalfi Coast: the video has gone viral.

Amalfi – The crystalline waters of the Divine Amalfi Coast never cease to amaze. A dark, tapered shadow slicing through the blue just meters from the shore has reignited, at the height of the bathing season, the debate about the relationship between humanity and the Mediterranean's great inhabitants.

The new sighting, which has gone viral on social media in just a few hours, comes from the body of water off the town of Amalfi, where a specimen was filmed that experts identify without any doubt as a blue shark (Prionace glauca), commonly known as the blue shark.

The images, released by the Facebook page "Maiori News e Notizie Costiera Amalfitana," show the animal swimming placidly on the surface. Its triangular dorsal fin protruding from the water and its slender, metallic blue body immediately went viral, sparking curiosity and, in some cases, a hint of fear among residents and beachgoers, who are sharing the footage with thousands of reactions.

This incident is not isolated, but rather part of a mosaic of increasingly reported occurrences along the Italian coast. The summer of 2024 was marked, just a few weeks ago, by the sensational sighting of a blue shark just steps from the shore of a crowded beach in Gioiosa Marea, Sicily. Sicily, too, in the waters of Menfi, was the scene of a close encounter with another specimen, while in Sardinia, in the evocative setting of Cala Sinzias beach, swimmers filmed a young blue shark hunting in just a few centimeters of water.

What drives these elegant creatures so close to the shoreline? Scientists are calming the alarm and explaining that the blue shark is a pelagic species, usually at home in the open sea, but it's not uncommon for it to venture inshore following the schools of bluefish it feeds on.

Furthermore, rising water temperatures encourage prey and predators to approach previously less frequented areas. Technology also plays a key role: today, every smartphone is a potential marine surveillance camera, and what once remained an anecdote among fishermen is now a video document shared in real time, amplifying the perception of the phenomenon.

What the Amalfi video delivers, however, isn't a chronicle of danger, but rather a testament to the extraordinary biodiversity that inhabits our sea. The blue shark, classified as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List, is a shy species and often a victim of bycatch (accidental fishing). Its presence, while understandably disturbing for divers, is an indicator of a living ecosystem.

The recommendations remain the same as for any close encounter with wildlife: admire from a distance, stay calm, avoid sudden gestures or noise, and never attempt to touch or chase the animal. With these simple precautions, sightings go from a potential source of anxiety to a privilege for those who choose to spend their holidays in the Mediterranean.