NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Everyone’s heard of shark bites in New Smyrna Beach, but I’m willing to bet you’ve never seen a shark leap out of the water and smack a surfer in the face.
That happened to Darren Kaye when he was surfing the inlet, and the entire encounter was captured on camera while he was riding a board often called a fish.
“Kind of ironic, right? So you’re riding a fish and the shark tries to get your fish,” said Kaye.
That Spinner Shark didn’t catch a fish when it jumped out of the water but did headbutt Kaye and knock him right off his board. Kaye said he was glad the shark’s mouth was shut when it happened.
Look below at the video of the interaction posted on NSB Inlet’s Instagram page, which has since gone viral.
Like most surfers, Kaye frequently sees sharks at New Smyrna Beach. He’s even been nearby when others were bitten, but what happened to him might be the most shocking shark encounter yet.
“I got right back on that board and my pulse went to like 195 beats a minute in a second and I paddled as fast as I could like out of the way,” said Kaye.
Not only has Kaye been attacked by a shark, but he’s also been hit by a car before, and he said the force felt similar.
“I have a scar on the side of my elbow from that and that’s like what it felt like. It felt like getting hit by a car. It was really strong and powerful. They’re all muscle you know,” said Kaye.
Spinner Sharks aren’t known for having serious or strong bites, but most weigh more than 120 pounds, which can pack a punch.
Kaye’s headache was brief and swiftly overshadowed when he caught his next wave.
“We surfed there the rest of the weekend, we surfed there this morning, we surfed there yesterday afternoon. We always have waves. We are lucky,” said Kaye.
In New Smyrna Beach, you typically see Spinner Sharks, Black Tip Sharks, and Bull Sharks. The Bull Sharks are large and more dangerous, while the Spinners and Black Tips are smaller and known for leaping out of the water.
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