Benidorm’s 'shark attack' becomes the butt of a million internet jokes
The alarmist overreaction to this week’s fish bite incident in Benidorm has seen Spaniards take to social media to mock those afraid to go back in the water.
Benidorm's Poniente beach was closed for 45 minutes on Tuesday morning after a 10-year-old boy received a nasty nip from an unidentified fish.
While a spokesman for the popular holiday resort's town hall told The Local that "we can absolutely assure that it was not a shark attack," the British tabloid press reported the story in a slightly different way.
"Jaws attack off Benidorm" read the Daily Star front page on Wednesday. The British tabloid also included a survey asking its readers "Does this put you off travelling to Spain?"
Spanish media quickly picked up on the British reaction to the fish bite, with many labelling it "sensationalist" while Spaniards seized the opportunity to have a laugh at the overreaction.
Here is The Local's roundup of the best tweets.
Un pez muerde a un niño en Benidorm y los ingleses lo titulan como el ataque de un gran tiburón blanco. #Muyfan pic.twitter.com/a4anFY7ouB
— Juan Ra (@kikiriglu) August 20, 2015
"A fish bites a kid in Benidorm and the English call it a great white shark attack," writes Juan Ra.
El 'tiburón británico' que aterroriza Benidorm ni es tiburón ni siembra el pánico http://t.co/otk0vp8mmZ pic.twitter.com/GDRYZpEtZb
— Alfonso Rojo López (@AlfonsoRojoPD) August 20, 2015
"The "British shark" that is terrorizing Benidorm is neither a shark nor causing panic…" writes Alfonso Rojo López.
Me voy para Benidorm, no se si me encontraré con algún tiburón blanco pero seguro q me tropiezo con + de un borracho ingles #estupidezmaxima
— gema gonzalez peña (@gema71gp_pea) August 21, 2015
"I’m going to Benidorm, I don’t know if I’ll see any type of great white shark but I’m sure that I’ll trip over a drunk Brit," writes gema gonzalez peña.
He conseguido una imagen en exclusiva del tiburón de #Benidorm para que la publiqueis...de nada @Daily_Star pic.twitter.com/eQRMlMHrht
— Pablo Martìnez (@PabloBenidorm) August 19, 2015
"I've taken an exclusive photograph of the Benidorm shark for you to publish. You're welcome Daily Star," writes Pablo Martínez.
Is this your #Benidorm Shark @DailyMirror @dailystaruk? Regards from the best tourist destination in the world. pic.twitter.com/DqrYTAaEh8
— Agustín Almodóbar (@aalmodobar) August 19, 2015
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Benidorm's Poniente beach was closed for 45 minutes on Tuesday morning after a 10-year-old boy received a nasty nip from an unidentified fish.
While a spokesman for the popular holiday resort's town hall told The Local that "we can absolutely assure that it was not a shark attack," the British tabloid press reported the story in a slightly different way.
"Jaws attack off Benidorm" read the Daily Star front page on Wednesday. The British tabloid also included a survey asking its readers "Does this put you off travelling to Spain?"
Spanish media quickly picked up on the British reaction to the fish bite, with many labelling it "sensationalist" while Spaniards seized the opportunity to have a laugh at the overreaction.
Here is The Local's roundup of the best tweets.
Un pez muerde a un niño en Benidorm y los ingleses lo titulan como el ataque de un gran tiburón blanco. #Muyfan pic.twitter.com/a4anFY7ouB
— Juan Ra (@kikiriglu) August 20, 2015
"A fish bites a kid in Benidorm and the English call it a great white shark attack," writes Juan Ra.
El 'tiburón británico' que aterroriza Benidorm ni es tiburón ni siembra el pánico http://t.co/otk0vp8mmZ pic.twitter.com/GDRYZpEtZb
— Alfonso Rojo López (@AlfonsoRojoPD) August 20, 2015
"The "British shark" that is terrorizing Benidorm is neither a shark nor causing panic…" writes Alfonso Rojo López.
Me voy para Benidorm, no se si me encontraré con algún tiburón blanco pero seguro q me tropiezo con + de un borracho ingles #estupidezmaxima
— gema gonzalez peña (@gema71gp_pea) August 21, 2015
"I’m going to Benidorm, I don’t know if I’ll see any type of great white shark but I’m sure that I’ll trip over a drunk Brit," writes gema gonzalez peña.
He conseguido una imagen en exclusiva del tiburón de #Benidorm para que la publiqueis...de nada @Daily_Star pic.twitter.com/eQRMlMHrht
— Pablo Martìnez (@PabloBenidorm) August 19, 2015
"I've taken an exclusive photograph of the Benidorm shark for you to publish. You're welcome Daily Star," writes Pablo Martínez.
Is this your #Benidorm Shark @DailyMirror @dailystaruk? Regards from the best tourist destination in the world. pic.twitter.com/DqrYTAaEh8
— Agustín Almodóbar (@aalmodobar) August 19, 2015
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