A shark attack in Del Mar, California, on Sunday sent a man to the hospital.
According to a news release from the city, the 46-year-old male victim suffered “significant but not life-threatening injuries,” including bites on his torso, left arm, and hand.
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The unidentified deceased was among a group of swimmers training about 100 yards off the beach north of Torrey Pines State Park.
The species of shark involved in the attack was not named in the news statement; however, juvenile white sharks are known to swim in the waters surrounding the state park.
Swimmers and surfers must stay out of a two-mile radius around the attack site until 9 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
Shark bites by the numbers
According to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File, there were a total of 69 unprovoked shark bites reported in 2023, which is six more than the average over the past five years.
In 2023, there were two fatal shark attacks in the United States, with one occurring in California and the other in Hawaii. Australia experienced a total of four shark attack fatalities. Additionally, one death was recorded in each of the following locations: the Bahamas, Egypt, Mexico, and New Caledonia.
In Florida, a total of 16 bite attacks were reported, with eight of them occurring in Volusia County, which is known as “the shark bite capital of the world.” This county is home to popular beaches like Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach.
There were a total of eight bite attacks reported, including the fatality in Hawaii. North Carolina accounted for three attacks, while South Carolina and California each had two incidents.
Four bite attacks have taken place in New York, with one of them happening in New York City. Additionally, there has been one reported attack in New Jersey.
In the United States, 36 bite attacks were reported, which accounted for about 52% of the total worldwide.
Bite attacks were reported in various locations around the world, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, New Zealand, Seychelles, Turks and Caicos, Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, and South Africa.
