A surfer was bitten by a shark off New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on March 27.
Robert Nesbit was 30 to 40 yards (27 to 37m) off shore when he was bitten on the foot just before 10 a.m.
According to the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, the injury was minor and the 58-year-old drove himself to the hospital.
Florida is known as the shark attack capital of the world, yet the majority of injuries caused by sharks are minor. Most bites occur off the east coast of the state near New Smyrna Beach, a murky water area popular with surfers.
Just last week, a blacktip shark was filmed off the coast of West Palm Beach as it came close to nibbling on a snorkeler’s fin. In the video, the shark is seen coming in and approaching the woman’s fin, before quickly realizing it was not food and swimming off.
There have been a total of 17 shark attack bites in 2017, one of which was fatal; 5 were reported in the US, all of which occurred in Florida. Five have been reported in Australia, including one with no injury and none of which were fatal.
All locations have been marked on the 2017 Shark Attack Bites Tracking Map.
