Paddleboarder and dog thrown off board by shark in California

A paddleboarder and his dog were thrown into the water in California when a shark bit their board this week, according to the Pacific Grove Police Department.

In a statement, the department confirmed that the incident took place around 150 yards off Lovers Point Pier, which is at the popular Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove.

“The paddleboard device was bit by the shark, but the paddleboarder is uninjured,” the department states. The beach remains closed until Saturday (13 Aug 22).

“He was offshore about 500 yards, had German shepherds on the board, local guys, paddling out, next thing you knew, he had a visitor,” Jim Pagnella, incident commander, told NBC.

According to the department, the paddleboarder managed to climb back onto the board after the encounter and swam to safety. Experts are now examining the bite marks to establish what sort of shark it was.

It’s the second shark attack in two months at Lovers Point. On June 22, a 15-foot white shark nearly killed a swimmer in the same area.

There has been a rise in shark encounters in the States this year, as more and more people head to the ocean to cool down.

More shark encounters than usual have been reported in the States this summer

Sharks have been filmed swimming just metres from the beach in Alabama and South Carolina this summer, while surfers were filmed paddling away from a large shark in California. Earlier this month, a 15-year-old girl lost her leg after being attacked by a shark while she was scalloping in five-foot-deep water near Grassy Island in Florida.

Despite the recent spate of encounters, shark attacks on humans remain extremely rare. It’s considered safest to avoid swimming at dawn or dusk, and to always remove jewellery before entering the water, as reflections can simulate fish scales and attract the interest of predators.

As sharks continue to make the headlines this summer, a website and free app is now tracking more than 400 sharks around Europe, the US and Australia, and offers users the ability to track and monitor sealife in near real-time.

Launched by non-profit marine research group Ocearch, the app and website tracks tagged sharks, turtles and dolphins. The organisation tags sharks to conduct research about the species and to help offer protection to endangered sealife.

Ocearch has completed 43 expeditions and has tagged 432 animals.