A woman named Dagmara Maceira captured a video from the shores of Siboney Beach in Santiago de Cuba, recounting a harrowing encounter with a shark just a few meters away from where her daughters were swimming.
The sighting took place on Sunday when beachgoers noticed the shark approaching the shore in the afternoon. Witnesses estimated the shark to be about two meters long, and its behavior suggested it might have been sick or injured.
In the video, Maceira shows the nearly deserted beach, with swimmers huddled on the sand, pointing out the exact spot where the shark had been moments earlier.
“That shark was right here, look, very close... it was right here and the children were swimming just a little way off,” she recounted with evident distress, criticizing the lack of warnings about the danger.
In her written post, Maceira was more outspoken in her criticism: “It’s unbelievable how there have been sharks at Siboney Beach for days and no one says anything, there’s no danger sign at the beach, they haven’t banned swimming, they haven’t closed the beach, nothing happens, no one says anything. Where are the people responsible for this? It’s a serious danger, for God’s sake.”
Maceira admitted that fear prevented her from filming the shark directly: “I couldn’t record a video due to fear and the rush,” she wrote, clarifying that the sighted shark was small and only one was seen, although rumors suggested there might be more.
It was two days after the sighting, on Tuesday, that Santiago de Cuba’s Aquatic Security authorities ordered a temporary ban on swimming at Siboney.
The official alert was announced by Aris Arias Batalla, the provincial head of Operations and Rescue for Aquatic Security, who confirmed the shark was still in the area: “I’m informed that it continues to patrol the Siboney coastline.”
Despite the closure, Arias acknowledged that not everyone respected the restriction: “A few minutes ago, I contacted a local volunteer by phone who reports that despite the warnings, there are people in the water,” he noted.
Several organizations were mobilized to address the situation: the XX Anniversary Polyclinic, the Risk Management Center, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA), the lifeguard team, and Red Cross collaborators residing in the area.
Siboney is Santiago de Cuba’s most popular beach, located about 15 km east of the city, and sees its highest attendance from June to September, during the school vacation period.
This incident is not the first of its kind in Cuba in recent months. In May, a shark weighing over 500 kg was captured at Yumurí Beach in Baracoa, and in December 2024, several sharks were spotted near the shore at Cayo Santa María, Villa Clara, forcing beachgoers to evacuate.
Historically, shark attacks in Cuba are exceedingly rare: from 1749 to 2023, approximately 47 incidents have been recorded across the archipelago, with 23 confirmed deaths.
The most recent fatal attack happened in November 2017 in Guardalavaca, Holguín, resulting in the death of a 22-year-old man.
Shark Safety and Incidents in Cuban Waters
What measures were taken after the shark sighting at Siboney Beach?
After the shark sighting at Siboney Beach, Santiago de Cuba’s Aquatic Security authorities temporarily banned swimming. Various organizations, including the XX Anniversary Polyclinic and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, were activated to manage the situation.
How common are shark attacks in Cuba?
Shark attacks in Cuba are very rare. Between 1749 and 2023, there have been approximately 47 incidents recorded throughout the archipelago, with 23 confirmed fatalities.