On October 24, 2009 Scott Barton and his companion, Emily Sondergaard, were surfing San Onofre State Beach at Trail 5. It was 5:30 PM and they had been on the water 45 minutes. They were about 20 yards from shore in water 4 feet deep with an estimated temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit and visibility of 3 – 4 feet. The ocean was calm with a clear sky and an estimated air temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. No marine mammals were observed in the area.
Barton reported; “My girlfriend and I were surfing at Trail 5 Saturday evening. It was a beautiful afternoon, with almost no wind, warm air and water, and 2 – 4 foot waves coming in. Several fish were felt and seen in the water around my feet and legs prior to the incident. They appeared to be grunion. I had just caught a wave and rode it in, and was turning my board around to paddle back out.
As I was about to get back on my board to begin paddling, I felt something brush against the calf of my leg. I was wearing a spring suit, so I could distinctly feel that it was some type of animal, and not just a piece of kelp or seaweed. It startled me, so I kind of jumped up a bit to try to get back on my board, but before I could, I felt several sharp teeth puncture my big toe and underside of my left foot. It caused a sharp pain, and I knew instantly that I was bleeding.
My first reaction was to try to get it off so I shook my leg hard, and it let go. I called to my girlfriend that I had just been bitten, and that we should get out of the water. So we both exited the water and walked up the beach. It was there that I discovered three puncture wounds on my big toe and one on the arch of my foot. This was clearly not a stingray wound or anything else I could think of. Then we cleaned and dried the cuts on the beach and went home.”
The three punctures to the top of the left foot/big toe demonstrate an ‘interspace measurement' of 1 centimeter, or 0.4 inches, between each cut. The slice to the arch of the left foot is approximately one-half inch in length. The configuration and spacing of the individual tooth punctures is consistent with upper and lower jaw teeth of a small shark. Please report any shark sighting, encounter or attack to the Shark Research Committee.
Content courtesy of the Shark Research Committee. Please report any shark encounters using their reporting forms.
