7 days ago
Hydrofoil Surfer Chomped by 8-Foot Shark in Canary Islands
On Sunday, a UK man was downwind hydrofoil surfing off the coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, when a suspected 8-foot mako shark attacked his board and leg. The wounds were described as 'deep,' although the unidentified victim is expected to recover.
Two large bite wounds above the man's knee can be seen in reports from the attack. Initially, the shark chomped the board, leaving noticeable gnaw marks, then it went for the flesh. Even though the man was out in open waters, in the Los Molinos area of the island, he was able to escape the shark following the attack, and make it safely to shore.
From there, he was treated by emergency services.
Although shark attacks are rare in the Spanish archipelago, which sits off the coast of northwestern Africa, they have happened in the past.
Sadly, last year, a 31-year-old German woman died in the waters near the Canaries when she was attacked by a shark. The woman had been traveling via catamaran, then she decided to take a dip alongside the boat. A shark attacked her, ripped off her leg, and she reportedly suffered a heart attack. She was airlifted to a hospital on Gran Canaria, where she was pronounced Canary Islands have long been a rogue and rustic destination for surfers, particularly those in Europe, due to the proximity. With heaving slabs wide open to Atlantic Ocean swells, they have often been called Europe's equivalent to Hawaii.
As for the shark in this rare attack in the Canaries, according to NOAA:
'Shortfin mako sharks are aggressive predators that feed near the top of the food web on marine fishes such as bluefish, swordfish, tuna, marine mammals, and other sharks.'Hydrofoil Surfer Chomped by 8-Foot Shark in Canary Islands first appeared on Surfer on Jul 23, 2025
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