GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The viral video of a surfer being attacked by a shark in South Africa has caught the attention of many who are wondering how he was able to escape without a bite.
Action News sat down with one of the world's most renowned shark experts George Burgess in Gainesville to get a better idea of what was happening in the video.
“What we’re seeing here is the white shark is coming up and it looks like an investigatory situation as opposed to an all-out attack,” Burgess said.
Burgess said if the shark was going to attack, it would have come from underneath to grab the surfer and his board.
“I think what's happening now the shark goes over the leash and it starts pulling and it's pulling him downwards right now,” said Burgess.
Burgess said from looking at the video, the shark appears to be a great white, around 12 to 15 feet long.
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He said while shark attacks are rare, you have to know there is a chance you’ll run into one if your swimming in their territory.
“The reality is when we enter the sea it's a wilderness experience. We arre eco-tourists every time we enter the sea,” he said.
Sunday, Jacksonville Beach life guards warned swimmers to get out of the water after three large sharks were spotted by a helicopter.
Burgess said this year there have been 11 shark attacks in Florida. None were fatal.
So what should you do if you see a shark approaching you?
“You can try to pop it on its nose it's probably going to create a startled response,” he said.
Burgess said if you are actually in a shark’s mouth, you should go for the eyes, or the openings behind the eyes. He said those are sensitive areas and the shark may let you go.
Burgess said shark attacks are rare and he's seen the number of sharks in the ocean decline because of fishing.