Surfers in Florida will often share the water with a few nasty predators, but being headbutted by a shark is still pretty unusual.
New Smyrna Beach in Florida is known for its high shark attack rate. Despite the dangers, surfers and beachgoers still frequent it. There are several types of sharks that hang around in the shallow waters. A surfer got to know one of them very intimately.
While waiting for a wave, the Florida man was headbutted by a flying shark. The particular breed, known as the Spinner shark, jumps and twists out of the water to catch its food. The footage shows the man, totally unaware, being hit in the face by the huge fish.
“I was just really happy its mouth wasn’t open, cause that’s how they fish,” the surfing Florida man said to WFTV 9 about the shark attack. Thankfully, apart from a huge shock, there were no injuries sustained.
Getting Hit By A Shark Feels Like A Car
The spinner shark is able to propel itself up to 20 feet out of the water. They can do this with the sheer amount of muscle that their body is made of. According to the surfer, getting headbutted by that much shark was comparable to being hit by a car.
“I have a scar, and that’s like what it felt like. It felt like getting hit by a car. It was really strong and powerful. They’re all muscle, you know,” he told the outlet. Full of adrenaline, he made a beeline for the shore.
“I got right back on that board and my pulse went to like 195 beats per minute in a second and I paddled as fast as I could like out of the way,” he said. But he’s not going to let it put him off. Despite the attack, he has continued to surf the same spot.
As a result of the shallow water and shark hotspot, there have been numerous reports of shark bites in this area. But it doesn’t stop the surfers catching waves here. Even the Florida guy who got headbutted by the shark has seen people bitten.