Surfer attacked by shark along Mendocino County coast, avoids major injuries
A surfer avoided major injuries Tuesday morning after being attacked by a shark along the Mendocino County coast, officials said.
The attack was reported about 8:45 a.m. near the town of Gualala, about 50 miles north of Bodega Bay, according to dispatchers with the CalFire Howard Forest Dispatch Center. The encounter occurred near the mouth of the Gualala River and the surfer did not need to be taken to a hospital, dispatchers said.
RELATED: Authorities confirm shark killed swimmer Erica Fox at Lovers Point
Other details were not immediately available. Dispatchers had been notified by a passerby on the beach and additional questions were referred to fire officials who interviewed the surfer.
Peter Tira, an information officer with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said wildlife officers are collecting DNA samples for analysis that will help identify the shark species involved in Tuesday’s attack.
He previously told The Press Democrat waters along the Northern California coast are occupied by at least a dozen resident and visiting shark species. They include the common and year-round resident leopard shark and the seasonal white shark.
Data from his office shows 229 documented encounters involving sharks and people along the California coast since 1950. The data pertains to sharks that physically touched swimmers, boards or kayaks. Not included are shark sightings or incidents involving hooked sharks.
Sixteen of the 229 incidents were reported along the Sonoma County coast and there were 18 along the Marin County coast. Great White sharks were involved in 199 of the incidents, according to the data. Five of them involved Hammerhead or Blue sharks while the rest weren’t specified.
Experts say shark activity may increase in the area due to a growing presence of sea lions and seals that serve as prey. Tuesday’s attack is the latest involving swimmers and surfers along the Northern California coast since last month.
On Dec. 12, a surfer was hospitalized after being attacked at North Salmon Creek Beach in Bodega Bay. He was treated for a bite to his hand while his surfboard was left with bite marks.
That was followed by an attack on Dec. 22 at Dillon Beach in Marin County. A surfer was near the mouth of Tomales Bay when a shark approached and damaged his surfboard.
The most prominent shark attack from last month involved the Dec. 21 death of triathlete Erica Fox, 55, near Lovers Point in Monterey. She and members of a swim club were in the water when a shark was spotted nearby. All but Fox made it out of the water.
Her body was recovered on Dec. 27, 2025, about 25 miles north of Lovers Point in Pacific Grove. Afterward, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office verified Fox died in a shark attack.
You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com.