STARTLED swimmers rushed to flee the water after spotting a pair of ferocious sharks prowling just feet away at a Spanish beach.
Two fearsome fins were seen rising above the waves off the coast of Portbou in the Catalonia region on Sunday afternoon.
Dramatic footage shows how the blue sharks swam stomach-churningly close to people in the water yesterday.
The creatures' surprise visit caused chaos as stunned swimmers cooling off from the Spanish sun raced to escape the danger.
Although some made it to shore, others were forced to take refuge on a crowded floating platform in the sea.
Lucas Perez pays part of own transfer fee to rejoin beloved Deportivo
They then had to be ferried back to dry land by kayakers.
Those on the safety of the sand recorded the hair-raising moment when the sharks were seen menacingly patrolling the coastline.
One was seen lurking in the shallow waters just feet away from two people while another was then spotted frolicking near the rocks.
Despite the initial alarm, no injuries or incidents related to the sighting were reported.
After the footage of the close encounter began to circulate online, Portbou mayor Gael Rodrigues reassured locals the "beach is completely safe."
He explained that blue sharks are often spotted off beaches in the municipality because they are native to the area.
The species, also known as Prionace glauca, can grow up to 13 feet in length and can weigh as much as 450lb.
Blue sharks have been listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Spanish beaches have been swarmed by sharks in recent weeks, forcing some to temporarily close.
A mystery sea creature sparked panic last week as beachgoers spotted a fin ominously emerging out of the water.
What is Balenciaga and how do you pronounce it?
Locals and tourists were seen running up and down the sand to alert swimmers as they feared a shark was about to launch an attack.
Local police described the surprise guest on the shoreline as a Cuvier's beaked whale, the world’s deepest-diving mammal.
In June, families were seen frantically running through waist-high water as a shark swam up beside them off a Costa Blanca beach.
Days later, a tintorera or blue shark sparked panic at Aguamarina beach in Orihuela Costa south of Alicante.
A shark was then spotted gliding through the water off a beach in Ibiza - marking the fifth sighting in Spain in just a week.
Terrifying footage later emerged of another shark nearing the sands in Malaga, forcing Brits to flee to the shore.
The Patalavaca beach in Mogan, Gran Canaria, was then closed after two hammerhead sharks were spotted prowling near the coast.
