NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — A 38-year-old man was released from the hospital after being treated for a shark bite to the face, which he sustained on Tuesday while surfing at New Smyrna Beach.
Volusia County Beach Safety told FOX 35 Orlando that the man had jumped off a wave near the jetty and encountered a shark underwater which bit his face. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
This marks the 7th shark bite recorded this year at New Smyrna Beach, though others have been reported in other Volusia County beaches, including Ponce Inlet. Almost half of the shark bites at New Smyrna happened within the same month.
Travel Lens rated New Smyrna the most dangerous beach in the U.S., ranking it at the top of a list where 7 out of the 10 most dangerous beaches are in Florida. Prior to 2023, New Smyrna recorded 32 shark bites and 10 surf zone deaths, many of which were attributed to rip currents.
According to reporting from The Daytona Beach News-Journal, one major reason shark bites happen so frequently in New Smyrna is because of its location. The beach is located near Ponce de Leon Inlet. Sharks frequent the area around the inlet to feed as baitfish are drawn in from deeper waters. The beach is popular with swimmers and, especially, surfers.
Sharks can easily mistake the surfers for fish or, as was the case with the most recent victim, may just bite reflexively.
"Nine out of 10 times it's because they'll fall in the shallow water, and they'll spook the shark, and it's a reaction bite,” said a surfer interviewed by NBC 6 South Florida.
In order to reduce the risk, Volusia County Beach Safety officials have recommended that visitors stay close to lifeguard towers so that lifeguards can more easily call people out of the water. They say large groups of baitfish or birds diving into the water are typically signs that sharks are close by.
