Man who encounters shark at Otter Point speaks after experience

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION-TV)- UPDATE NOV. 1 2022, at 5:30 p.m. -- “I think he had his mouth open and was expecting me to be a soft seal,” shark attack survivor Jim Affinito said. “So he hit me with his nose, but then the board's kind of unyielding flat surface hit him in his nose. He couldn’t bite it.”

Jim Affinito has been surfing in Pacific Grove since he was 16 years old. What took place yesterday was nothing he’d experienced before.

"Somehow, the other right rail kind of grained against his teeth but just that big impact right in the middle of my board,” Affinito said. “It was just like from nothing. Calm, peaceful ,enjoying myself, to just violently thrown up into the air and out of the water.”

Affinito didn’t process what happened until about 5 to 10 minutes after swimming back ashore.

Thanks to his job at Natividad Hospital, he got advice from another shark survivor. Steve Bruemmer.

“He’s a sweet guy,” Affinito said. “He’s just really making sure that I did address any post-traumatic issues that may arise from this. I don’t even know yet. It’s been 24 hours. I feel safe now. I feel ok.”

This still begs the question of why so many shark incidents have occurred this year alone, especially in this area.

Experts, like Professor of Marine Biology and Director of CSULB Shark Lab Dr. Chris Lowe, have a few ideas.

“I think more of it has to do with the fact that there are more white sharks now than there have been probably in the last 100 years,” Dr. Lowe said. “So that may be more influencing this pattern than anything.”

Affinito is ready to get back out into the water, even if it might take some time.

“I can’t let that fear paralyze me and keep me from surfing ever again,” Affinito said. “I definitely realize that I have something I have to work through and get back in the water again.”

Original Article

Third shark encounter of year in Pacific Grove, latest one at Otter Point

- Pacific Grove Police told KION that they are investigating their third shark encounter of the year on Monday.

According to the reporting party, this occurred at Otter Point around 5:17 p.m., about 100 yards offshore.

Read more: Pacific Grove great white shark bite survivor discharged from hospital

Police say a surfer was bumped off their board and they then swam safely to shore. There are no reports of any bites to a person or the board.

Fish and Wildlife have received the board to gather possible DNA to identify the type of shark that was encountered.

Read more: Great white shark determined to have bit paddleboarder at Lovers Point Beach

Police say they will not close the area but will have signs up warning people of shark activity.