Leaping Shark Slams Into Paddleboarder In Florida

Spinning sharks are common off the Sunshine State's coast. Flying marine beasts are not.

Our finned friends seem to be reclaiming the surf lineup -- one surfer at a time.

Just two weeks after a dolphin leapt out of a barreling wave mere feet in front of a surfer in Australia, another marine animal crashed a Florida man's wave-riding session on Thursday.

This time, it was a standup paddleboarder and a soaring shark.

Maximo Trinidad was surfing at Corners Beach in Jupiter during his lunch break when an airborne shark slammed into the side of his board, knocking him backwards into the water.

"As soon as I saw that big, beautiful animal jumping next to me, everything went into slow motion," he told local news station WPTV. "I didn't want to be on top of it and [it] think I was a fish. Everything was so surreal."

Local news reports identified the animal as a spinning shark, which is common in the coastal waters of Florida.

The species is fast-swimming and named after its ability to leap high out of the water while spinning, not unlike a real-life Sharknado.

Trinidad was able to get back on his board and paddle away with no injuries.

He returned to work that day with new GoPro footage to show off to his coworkers.

"It was awesome," Trinidad told ABC News. "I was not even scared."

Thirty of the 59 shark attacks in the United States last year were in the Sunshine State, but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that spinner sharks don't see humans as a food source.

"Experts believe that most shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity, which explains why nearly all shark attacks that occur in Florida waters are of a bite-and-release nature," the commission said in a statement.

Before You Go

Silky sharks in Jardines de la Reina archipelago in Cuba.

The Beauty Of Sharks

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