Report: Bulls to the sea in Dénia, Spain
16-07-2025From CAS International and AnimaNaturalis, we have once again released a new report about the cruel traditions involving animals in Spain. This time, we captured the practices in the municipality of Dénia (Valencia) during Bous a la Mar (Valencian for “bulls to the sea”). This is an event where cows and bulls are chased with the aim of making them jump into the sea.
Report: Bulls to the sea in Dénia, Spain | Picture: Aitor Garmendia, CAS International & AnimaNaturalis
On July 8 and 9, we documented Bous a la Mar. These street festivals are controversial because they cause intense animal suffering. The cows and bulls are chased from the harbor quays into the sea, which causes a great deal of stress and fear. Sometimes the animals don’t survive: in 2012 and 2023, a bull drowned in Dénia, and in 2024 in nearby Xàbia.
Chased into the sea
The event begins on a square in Dénia, where the cows and bulls are kept in a pen. During our documentation, the temperature rose above 35 °C in the shade. The pen is opened, and then the animals must run through the streets, surrounded by loud music and a shouting crowd. They are led to the harbor, where a temporary arena is set up along the water’s edge.
Once there, the crowd entertains itself by chasing the cows and bulls toward the quay, using wet shirts, flags, and empty bottles. The goal is to make the animals jump into the sea. In the water, they are surrounded by people who swim after them and herd them toward boats. From there, the animals are supposedly brought back ‘safely’. One white-haired cow, whom we called Nevada, took as long as 17 minutes to get out of the water.
Bystanders chase the animal toward the quay so that it jumps into the sea | Picture: Aitor Garmendia, CAS International & AnimaNaturalis
With cow Nevada, it took 17 minutes before she was able to get out of the water | Picture: Aitor Garmendia, CAS International & AnimaNaturalis
Drowned animals during bulls in the sea
Once in the water, the animals run the risk of drowning. In Dénia, this last happened in 2023. CAS and AnimaNaturalis immediately urged the municipality to stop organizing Bous a la Mar. Although bulls in the sea have not been abolished, the municipality of Dénia decided to cut the number of sessions in half by cancelling the afternoon sessions.
Using fewer animals and avoiding the hottest hours of the day is an attempt to reduce animal suffering. However, this is not enough. That is why CAS and AnimaNaturalis continue to closely monitor and document the event.
View our full report here:
Campaign: Blood Fiestas
For years, CAS and AnimaNaturalis have been working to end the use of bulls and cows in Spanish festivals. We document these events and file complaints when we witness abuse. We also conduct research. For example, we discovered that in 2019 alone, more than 42 million euros of public funds were spent on 17,708 of these bull festivals. What many people don’t realize is that these festivals are largely funded with public money. We will continue to raise awareness of the animal suffering caused by these cruel events. Sign our petition!
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