ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 30 · 2020 · 1
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received: 2020-04-06                 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2020.04
ON A HUGE SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK ISURUS OXYRINCHUS 
RAFINESQUE, 1810 (CHONDRICHTHYES: LAMNIDAE) OBSERVED AT 
CABRERA GRANDE, BALEARIC ISLANDS, SPAIN
Fernando LOPEZ-MIRONES
calle Rio Alagon 1209, El Casar, 19170 Guadalajara, Spain
e-mail: fernandomirones@telefonica.net
Alessandro DE MADDALENA
Shark Museum, 26 Forest Hill Road, Simon’s Town, 7995 Cape Town, South Africa
e-mail: alessandrodemaddalena@gmail.com
Ricardo SAGARMINAGA VAN BUITEN
ALNITAK, Calle nalon 16, 28240 Hoyo De Manzanares, Spain
e-mail: ric@alnitak.org
ABSTRACT
A huge female shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus, was observed on 28 June 2018 near Cabrera Grande, 
in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Its total length was carefully estimated at 500 cm based on a comparison with a 
520-cm inflatable boat. This specimen is therefore the largest mako known alive and the second largest mako ever 
recorded worldwide. 
Key words: shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus, maximum size, Spain, Cabrera National Park, Mediterranean Sea
IN MERITO A UN ENORME SQUALO MAKO DALLE PINNE CORTE ISURUS 
OXYRINCHUS RAFINESQUE, 1810 (CHONDRICHTHYES: LAMNIDAE) OSSERVATO ALLE 
ISOLE BALEARI, SPAGNA
SINTESI
Un’enorme femmina di squalo mako dalle pinne corte Isurus oxyrinchus, fu osservato nei pressi di Cabrera 
Grande, alle Isole Baleari, in Spagna, il 28 giugno 2018. La lunghezza totale dell’esemplare fu stimata con accura-
tezza pari a 500 cm sulla base delle dimensioni di un gommone di 520 cm. Tale esemplare è pertanto il più grande 
mako mai osservato vivo ed il secondo più grande registrato a livello mondiale.
Parole chiave: squalo mako dalle pinne corte, Isurus oxyrinchus, dimensioni massime, Spagna, Parco Nazionale 
dell’Arcipelago di Cabrera, mare Mediterraneo
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Fernando LOPEZ-MIRONES et al.: ON A HUGE SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK ISURUS OXYRINCHUS RAFINESQUE, 1810 (CHONDRICHTHYES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 25–30
INTRODUCTION
The shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 
1810, inhabits temperate and tropical waters of the 
Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is pelagic, 
coastal and oceanic, occurring at a depth range from 
0 to 500 m (Compagno, 2001). The shortfin mako is 
present in the entire Mediterranean (De Maddalena 
& Baensch, 2005), where it is caught mainly by tuna 
longline fishery and occasionally by swordfish fishery 
using longlines and driftnets (Celona et al., 2004; 
Megalofonou et al., 2005). Although the majority of 
shortfin mako catches are recorded in pelagic fisher-
ies, in a recent report, Kabasakal (2015) emphasized 
that new-born and juvenile specimens of I. oxyrinchus 
can be incidentally captured by coastal stationary 
netting and bottom longline fishing, as well.
In the present article we report a record of a huge 
shortfin mako spotted in June 2018 by the team of 
Alnitak Marine Research and Education Center in the 
Balearic Islands, in Spanish Mediterranean waters. 
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The observation took place from the research 
vessel Toftevaag, an 18-metre LOA converted historic 
Norwegian fishing boat, and from a 520-cm-long in-
flatable boat. The shark was encountered during a 
shipboard survey in the waters of the proposed exten-
sion of Cabrera National Park (Parque Nacional del 
Archipiélago de Cabrera), while tracking cetaceans, 
sea turtles, seabirds, devil rays and bluefin tuna. The 
crew of the Toftevaag at the time of the encounter was 
composed of Ricardo Sagarminaga van Buiten as cap-
tain, Fernando López-Mirones as biologist and film-
maker for ORCA-Films, and Beat von Niederhaeusern 
as boatswain. A few volunteers were also on board, 
including Sam Laederach, Georgina Stevens, Doris 
Juen, Cornelia Luxner, Susanne Luxner, Naim Lasgaa 
and Miguel Félix.
On 28 June 2018, at 07:00 UT, three hours after 
sunrise, at 39° 5.35 N and 003° 4.31 E, with wind 
force 0 (Beaufort) and sea state 0 (Douglas), the dorsal 
Fig. 1: Map showing the exact location where the estimated 500-cm TL female shortfin mako shark was obser-
ved on 28 June 2018.
Sl. 1: Zemljevid obravnavanega območja z označeno lokaliteto, kjer so avtorji 28. junija 2018 opazovali na 500 
cm dolžine ocenjeno samico atlantskega maka.
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Fernando LOPEZ-MIRONES et al.: ON A HUGE SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK ISURUS OXYRINCHUS RAFINESQUE, 1810 (CHONDRICHTHYES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 25–30
fin was observed of a shark gliding slowly through 
the surface in 700-m-deep waters of the Emile Baudot 
escarpment, 5 nmi ESE of the Cabrera Grande Island 
(Fig. 1).
On the same day, a small juvenile loggerhead 
turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) had been seen 
basking just one hour before 3.8 miles north from the 
sighting position, and a pod of 40 Risso’s dolphins 
Grampus griseus (Cuvier, 1812) was observed slowly 
travelling north at a distance of 1000 m just after the 
encounter with the shark.
According to data from the Balearic Islands Coastal 
Ocean Observing and Forecasting System (SOCIB) 
and observation by Alnitak, 14 days prior to the shark 
encounter there had been particularly numerous ob-
servations of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 
1758), giant devil rays Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 
1788), sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus Lin-
naeus, 1758 with calves, and large dolphin groups, 
while 7 days before the shark encounter there had 
been an important reduction in the number of sight-
ings, except for turtles and Risso’s dolphins, while 
sperm whales appeared to be silent, not clicking, just 
frequently breaching. 
Pictures and videos of the shark were taken with a 
Nikon D750 camera, a Panasonic AG-DVX 200 video 
camera and a GoPro Hero3 video camera for subsequent 
analysis (Figs. 2-4). Underwater videos were filmed from 
the inflatable boat by the second author, but in them 
the shark was barely visible. A short, 25-second high-
resolution aerial video was filmed by the first author 
from the mast of the boat from a height of 7 m, and was 
fundamental for identification purposes. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The shark was observed by the first two authors 
for 70 minutes. The size of the shark was carefully 
estimated by the first two authors at 500 cm total 
length (TL), based on the size of the inflatable boat, 
which was 520 cm LOA. 
Fig. 2: The estimated 500-cm TL female shortfin mako shark, 
observed near Cabrera Grande, Balearic Islands, Spain, 
on 28 June 2018. This mako is believed to be the largest 
of its species observed alive, and the second largest ever 
recorded worldwide (photo by ALNITAK/ORCA-Films).
Sl. 2: Pet metrov dolga samica atlantskega maka, foto-
grafirana 28. junija 2018 blizu otoka Cabrera na Bale-
arih (Španija). Avtorji menijo, da gre za največji živeči 
primerek in drugi največji doslej zabeleženi primerek 
(foto: ALNITAK/ORCA-Films).
Fig. 3: Dorsal fin of the sighted shortfin mako shark 
(photo by ALNITAK/ORCA-Films).
Sl. 3: Hrbtna plavut opazovanega atlantskega maka 
(foto: ALNITAK/ORCA-Films).
Fig. 4: Close-up of the shortfin mako shark showing 
the whitish band visible at the base of the dorsal fin, 
which is a peculiar feature of very large shortfin makos 
(photo by ALNITAK/ORCA-Films).
Sl. 4: Bližinski posnetek atlantskega maka, na katerem 
je razvidna belkasta proga na korenu hrbtne plavuti, 
ki je značilna za večje primerke te vrste (foto: ALNI-
TAK/ORCA-Films).
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Fernando LOPEZ-MIRONES et al.: ON A HUGE SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK ISURUS OXYRINCHUS RAFINESQUE, 1810 (CHONDRICHTHYES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 25–30
Some evident morphological features of the animal, 
including markedly spindle-shaped body, pointed 
conical snout, presence of caudal keel, and long gill 
slits, allowed the authors to make an immediate iden-
tification of the shark as a representative of the family 
Lamnidae. Although the shark was initially identified as 
a great white shark Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 
1758), after careful examination of the high-resolution 
video and the photos we were able to conclude that the 
species observed by the team of Alnitak was actually an 
unusually large shortfin mako shark.
Large individuals of shortfin mako may bear a 
similarity with the great white shark, considerably more 
conspicuous than small or medium-sized individuals, 
however the two species can be told apart by various 
features (De Maddalena et al., 2005). The identification 
of the Cabrera shark as I. oxyrinchus is therefore based 
on many morphological characteristics, which are listed 
below. Some of these also constitute a solid confirma-
tion of the fact that the shark was indeed a shortfin mako 
of a very large size.
The estimated 500-cm size may seem barely accept-
able for I. oxyrinchus, considering that only three other 
individuals of over 400 cm have been recorded to date 
worldwide (Kabasakal & De Maddalena, 2011), but on 
the other hand these records show that while the occur-
rence of such gigantic makos is extremely rare, it is still 
a reality.
The colouration is grey brown with a hint of blue. 
This can be observed in large makos, while smaller 
individuals display a much more brilliant blue colour 
with strong metallic reflection.
The shape of the first dorsal fin, high and more erect 
than in C. carcharias, corresponds to what is normally 
observed in I. oxyrinchus (Fig. 5).
The posterior margin of the first dorsal fin is mostly 
smooth and with only a few notches, which is typical 
of I. oxyrinchus, while C. carcharias shows a much 
more irregular posterior margin with a high number of 
notches (Fig. 5).
The whitish band visible at the base of the dorsal fin 
is a peculiar feature of very large shortfin makos and is 
not observed in great white sharks (Fig. 4).
The shape of the body, both the head and trunk 
stout and very massive, can suggest either a great white 
shark or a very large shortfin mako, but are definitely 
not compatible with small or medium-sized mako 
specimens.
The pectoral fins are long, conspicuously longer than 
in an average shortfin mako. It is known that neonate 
specimens of I. oxyrinchus have very short pectoral 
fins, however, these get conspicuously longer as the 
individual grows, up to the point of reaching a similar 
length as in C. carcharias.
The caudal fin’s terminal lobe is not as prominent 
as in C. carcharias, and its size fits the one normally 
observable in I. oxyrinchus (Fig. 5).
The large size of the caudal keel may fit both C. car-
charias and a very large I. oxyrinchus, but its angular shape 
definitely indicates the latter species.
The lower lobe of the caudal fin is as big as, or perhaps 
even bigger than, the upper lobe. In this regard we have 
to consider that while in C. carcharias the proportion of 
the two lobes tends to remain similar in small and large 
individuals, in I. oxyrinchus the lower lobe is much shorter 
than the upper lobe in juveniles, but becomes much larger 
when the individual grows bigger, and eventually it may 
match the size of the upper lobe.
On the head and the trunk there are bite scars that are 
likely the result of love bites by a mako, not by a great 
white shark.
The fast and somewhat nervous swimming pattern is 
typical of shortfin mako shark but not of great white shark.
Other features that differentiate I. oxyrinchus from C. 
carcharias, like the absence of a black tip on the underside 
of pectoral fins, the shape of the teeth, the respective posi-
tion of the dorsal fin origin and pectoral fin free rear tip, the 
boundary between the colouration of the lateral and ven-
tral surfaces, could not be observed. However, the totality 
of the observable features listed above, leads to a solid 
conclusive identification of the species as I. oxyrinchus.
While a study of 199 shortfin mako sharks showed an 
average total length of 171 cm (Kohler et al., 1996) this spe-
cies can sometimes attain incredibly larger sizes. The larg-
est shortfin mako reported to date worldwide was a female 
caught in the late 1950s in the Aegean Sea off Marmaris, 
Turkey, which was estimated at 585 cm TL with a 577-
619 cm range (Kabasakal & De Maddalena, 2011). Other 
large specimens have been recorded in the Mediterranean 
area. A 445-cm-long specimen was caught off Six-Fours 
les-Plages, France, in September 1973 (Capapé, 1977). A 
425-cm-long shortfin mako was caught off La Galite Island, 
Tunisia, on 24 September 1876, and its jaws are preserved 
in the Natural History Museum of Genoa, Italy (Doria & 
Gestro, 1877). Lawley (1881) reported a 4-metre-long 
specimen that weighed 1000 kg, which was observed in a 
warehouse of a fishmonger in Livorno and was caught off 
Piombino, Italy. A 400-cm-long shortfin mako captured off 
Caska, Novalja, Croatia, on 13 May 1882 was reported by 
Brusina (1888). A 390-cm-long shortfin mako was caught 
on 30 November 1991 off Bagnara Calabra, Italy (Storai et 
al., 2001). Another 390-cm-long specimen, weighing 513 
kg, was caught on 20 September 2000 off Punta Alice, Italy 
(Storai et al., 2001). A 390-cm-long female was caught on 
26 July 2003 off Scaletta Zanclea, Italy, and another female, 
measuring 370 cm TL, was caught between Portopalo di 
Capo Passero and Marzamemi, Italy, on 22 June 2004 
(Celona et al., 2004). A 380-cm-long female was caught in 
summer 2012, by a commercial purse-seiner operating in 
İskenderun Bay, eastern Levantine Sea (Kabasakal, 2015).
Taking into account these records, the estimated 500-
cm TL female shortfin mako shark observed near Cabrera 
Grande is believed to be the largest of its species observed 
alive, and the second largest ever recorded worldwide.
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Fernando LOPEZ-MIRONES et al.: ON A HUGE SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK ISURUS OXYRINCHUS RAFINESQUE, 1810 (CHONDRICHTHYES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 25–30
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Very special thanks to all the people that were 
on board at the time of the observation reported in 
this article. The authors wish to thank Andrew Fox 
for his constructive comments on the Cabrera mako 
shark, and Eric Glenn Haenni for taking the time to 
edit the manuscript. Fernando López-Mirones thanks 
Tatu, Santiago, Sebastian and Marina for their love and 
Alexander Sanchez Jones for his help. Alessandro De 
Maddalena thanks Alessandra, Antonio and Phoebe 
for their support and love.
Fig. 5: Morphology of the shortfin mako (a) and the great white shark Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) 
(b). The arrows mark some of the features that differentiate I. oxyrinchus from C. carcharias: a more erect 
first dorsal fin, a smoother posterior margin of the dorsal fin and a less prominent caudal fin's terminal lobe 
(illustration by Alessandro De Maddalena).
Sl. 5: Morfološke značilnosti atlantskega maka (a) in belega morskega volka Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 
1758) (b). Puščice označujejo znake, po katerih je možno razlikovati vrsto I. oxyrinchus od C. carcharias: bolj 
pokončna hrbtna plavut, bolj gladek zadnji rob hrbtne plavuti in manj očitna krpica na repni plavuti (ilustracija: 
A. De Maddalena).
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Fernando LOPEZ-MIRONES et al.: ON A HUGE SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK ISURUS OXYRINCHUS RAFINESQUE, 1810 (CHONDRICHTHYES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 25–30
O OPAZOVANJU VELIKEGA PRIMERKA ATLANTSKEGA MAKA ISURUS OXYRINCHUS 
RAFINESQUE, 1810 (CHONDRICHTHYES: LAMNIDAE) V BLIŽINI OTOKA CABRERA 
GRANDE, BALEARSKO OTOČJE, ŠPANIJA
Fernando LOPEZ-MIRONES
calle Rio Alagon 1209, El Casar, 19170 Guadalajara, Spain, e-mail: fernandomirones@telefonica.net
Alessandro DE MADDALENA
Shark Museum, 26 Forest Hill Road, Simon’s Town, 7995 Cape Town, South Africa, e-mail: alessandrodemaddalena@gmail.com
Ricardo SAGARMINAGA VAN BUITEN
ALNITAK, Calle nalon 16, 28240 Hoyo De Manzanares, Spain, e-mail: ric@alnitak.org
POVZETEK
Osemindvajsetega junija 2018 so blizu otoka Cabrera Grande na Balearih (Španija) opazovali veliko samico 
atlantskega maka (Isurus oxyrinchus). Na podlagi primerjave z gumenjakom, ki je meril 520 cm, so ocenili, da je 
samica merila 500 cm v dolžino. Gre za največji živeči primerek te vrste in drugi največji doslej zabeleženi primerek. 
Ključne besede: atlantski mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, največja dolžina, Španija, Nacionalni park Cabrera, Sredozemsko morje
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