CDFW has investigated shark bite

[WB Staff]

CDFW has investigated the incident in which a swimmer was bitten by a white shark near Pacific Grove on June 22. The swimmer, a 62-year-old man, was treated and released and is expected to recover. DNA samples from his wetsuit were sent to CDFW’s Wildlife Forensics Lab, where forensic scientists confirmed that it was white shark DNA. While some media reports are claiming that “experts” have estimated the shark’s length at 20 feet, this is not true. CDFW scientists have not determined a size estimate. This would need to be done by examining photos of the bite wound, which we do not have.
Incidents where sharks bite humans are extremely rare in California. Annually, fewer than three shark incidents are reported. Since 1950, there have been 203 shark incidents in California involving all species of sharks, at least 180 of which involved white sharks. Of those, only 124 resulted in the person being injured. For more information about white sharks, please visit CDFW’s website: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/White-Shark