Dangerous predator in the Mediterranean Sea: tourist needed help

On the Greek island of Zakynthos, a British tourist was injured by an aggressive fish while swimming. The woman was hospitalized with suspected contact with a venomous marine creature. Experts link the incident to the migration of the invasive silver-cheeked toadfish from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal due to warming waters.

On the Greek island of Zakynthos, a British tourist was injured by an aggressive fish while swimming near the resort of Kalamaki. The woman was rushed to a private medical facility, reporting contact with a venomous marine creature. The local port authority has launched an official investigation. Experts believe the attack was carried out by a silver-cheeked toadfish, an invasive species of the pufferfish family that entered the Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. This was facilitated by warming waters and increased salinity due to climate change. The fish has powerful teeth capable of biting through hard materials, and its internal organs contain the deadly neurotoxin tetrodotoxin. The Greek Red Cross has issued a warning, and authorities are installing protective barriers at beaches following similar incidents, including a recent attack on an elderly woman near Athens.