Crocodile sighting forces Spanish beach to close

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The 1.5 metre reptile was spotted by a lifeguard on L’Arenal beach in Tarragona

The red flag banning swimming was hastily raised on a Tarragona beach this week when a keen-eyed lifeguard spotted the croc, which he estimated to be at least 1.5 metres long, slipping into the water. He also said there was a trail and prints in the sand which looked like they belonged to a large reptile.

The alarm was raised on August 21 at L’Arenal beach in L’Hospitalet de l’Infant at around 7am, so thankfully the shoreline was still very quiet.

Several police officers and more lifeguards sped to the beach and conducted a thorough search, but they found no sign of the elusive crocodile. After a couple of hours, the authorities switched the red flag for yellow, meaning that swimming was once again permitted but that bathers should exercise caution.

Before we assume that the lifeguard’s eyes were playing tricks on him, it’s worth remembering that similar reptiles have actually been seen in this area before.

Earlier this month, a baby alligator was captured in nearby Barcelona. A local man out for a stroll in the Besòs river park, between Santa Coloma de Gramenet and the Bon Pastor neighbourhood, spotted the small reptile hiding among the high grass.

He immediately called the authorities, who managed to catch the creature after a bit of a chase and the baby alligator was sent to the Amphibian and Reptile Recovery Centre of Catalonia.

Image: Freepik