07/21/2021 - Jennifer Rand Romney - California - No Injury
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 1:22 am
"I was at the main surf break alongside another surfer/friend, on eight-foot boards, a few feet apart.
She suddenly s a i d ' s o m e t h i n g h i t m e underwater, way larger than a fish.'
As she completed her sentence it hit me, and I felt a large push on my leg.
It was in contact with both of us at the same time, and our bodies were approximately seven feet apart.
"I did not see the shark. I watched the water for any sights, whether shark, seal or dolphin.
Nothing surfaced. We waited calmly for a minute, then turned toward shore and paddled in
as calmly as possible. There was no other interaction with us.
"I concluded it was a shark for a few reasons. Juvenile sharks are frequently spotted in the
Capitola and Rio Del Mar areas, even in shallow water.
In 20 years of surfing I have not had a sea lion make physical contact. And I did not see a dolphin surface anywhere, while in the water or after we exited. I wasn’t sure what else could be that large, long, and make such a hard hit."
INJURY: No injury
SOURCE: Reported by Jennifer Romney
She suddenly s a i d ' s o m e t h i n g h i t m e underwater, way larger than a fish.'
As she completed her sentence it hit me, and I felt a large push on my leg.
It was in contact with both of us at the same time, and our bodies were approximately seven feet apart.
"I did not see the shark. I watched the water for any sights, whether shark, seal or dolphin.
Nothing surfaced. We waited calmly for a minute, then turned toward shore and paddled in
as calmly as possible. There was no other interaction with us.
"I concluded it was a shark for a few reasons. Juvenile sharks are frequently spotted in the
Capitola and Rio Del Mar areas, even in shallow water.
In 20 years of surfing I have not had a sea lion make physical contact. And I did not see a dolphin surface anywhere, while in the water or after we exited. I wasn’t sure what else could be that large, long, and make such a hard hit."
INJURY: No injury
SOURCE: Reported by Jennifer Romney