A surfer was attacked by a shark Friday morning at a Sonoma County beach.
The unidentified victim was bitten in the hand about 300 yards from shore at Salmon Creek, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities said the injuries are non-life-threatening, and the victim refused medical transport.
Alex Valentin was checking the surf at Salmon Creek — about 70 miles north of San Francisco — when he saw the victim paddle into the frigid waters around 8 a.m. Valentin left to check another surf spot, and when he returned roughly 30 minutes later saw paramedics treating the man in an ambulance.
“I’m really glad I didn’t paddle out,” Valentin said. “I’m praying for the guy, hoping it was just a nibble and he’s back in the water soon.”
An online database (opens in new tab) of shark attacks in California shows two incidents this year at Montara Beach and Catalina Island. The database includes two shark attacks against surfers at Salmon Creek, in May 2019 and October 2021 (opens in new tab).
Salmon Creek is 14 miles north of Tomales Point, a scene of great white shark activity, according to Paul Kanive, president of California White Shark Project, a Marin nonprofit.
In winter, white sharks feed in Tomales Point and the Farallon Islands before migrating to the central Pacific.
“It’s not uncommon for them to be in that area this time of year,” Kanive said. “The smaller sharks are transitioning to seals and sea lions. They’re gaining the experience of pinpointing their prey, so they’re more likely to make a mistake than adults that have decades of experience.”