In wake of surfer death, experts call Monterey Bay shark attacks rare

MOSS LANDING, Calif. (KION) Santa Cruz surfer Ben Kelly's death marked the first unprovoked shark attack in Monterey Bay in 30 years, according to University of Florida researchers.

"It’s really an uncomfortable feeling from a pilot’s perspective because we see so many sharks mixing with surfers, and standup paddlers, and kayakers, and everybody out there swimming," Specialized Helicopters Director of Operations Chris Gularte said.

Gularte regularly takes people on rides over Monterey Bay to look at sharks. He said he's noticed more and more of them over the last decade.

"We’re hitting kind of a peak," Gularte said. "I haven’t been able to count more than 40 in any one 10…20-minute flight time."

And while it's still unknown what type of shark attacked Santa Cruz surfer Ben Kelly on Saturday, experts say they have an idea.

"Up in this area here, you know, there’s a few other sharks, but it’s really the white sharks—the main one to be concerned about," Pacific Shark Research Center Program Director David Ebert said.

In fact, researchers at the University of Florida said said great white sharks were involved in the last two attacks reported in the Monterey area. But those attacks happened in 1990 and 1981. So it's been a while.

"A lot more people are at the beach, out in the ocean now, but the number of attacks hasn’t changed," Ebert said.

So, based on the data, experts said the risk of a shark attack is still quite low.

"You just take it—you know—if you’re going in the water, you might see a shark," Ebert said. "If you’re going for a hike in the woods, you might see a bear."

Ebert also said that it's best to avoid certain parts of the water if there's been a recent attack there.