Dillon Beach surfer attacked by shark, avoids injury

"A surfer avoided injury after being attacked by a shark Monday morning at Marin County's Dillon Beach, officials verified Tuesday. The attack occurred around 9 or 10 a.m. near the mouth of Tomales Bay, said Graham Groneman, a battalion chief with the Marin County Fire Department. The area is a known habitat for sharks where sightings aren't abnormal. "It's where shark experts do research on Great White sharks," he said."

"The attack damaged the surfer's surfboard. California Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators swabbed the surfboard for a DNA sample to help identify the shark species involved, said Peter Tira, a CDFW information officer. "Given the holidays, we won't have results on that analysis for a while," he told The Press Democrat in an email. Monday's attack was the second to occur this month along the coast of Marin and Sonoma counties."

A shark attacked a surfer near the mouth of Tomales Bay at Dillon Beach early Monday, but the surfer was not injured. The area is a known shark habitat and hosts Great White research; signs now warn visitors of shark activity. The surfer's board was damaged and swabbed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators for DNA to identify the shark, though holiday timing will delay results. This was the second regional attack this month, following a Dec. 12 incident in Bodega Bay. Officials link increased shark activity to growing sea lion and seal populations. CDFW records show 229 documented shark encounters along the California coast since 1950, with Great White sharks involved in most.

Read at The Mercury News