Man headbutted by airborne shark while surfing makes worrying discovery

A surfer has been left thanking his lucky stars after a baffling encounter with a shark - and the footage has to be seen to be believed.

Floridaman Darren Kaye had been surfing off the coast of New Smyrna Beach, a sunbathing hotspot where visitors are warned to keep an eye out for the various shark species, attracted by the relatively shallow waters and abundance of fish.

That day, daring Darren had already clocked a few sharks milling around the shore, and, alarmingly, had even witnessed a few shark attacks. Unperturbed, he grabbed his board and headed out into the waves, keeping one eye out for any lurking predators.

Little did Darren know that he was in for the shock of his life when a bold-as-brass spinner shark launched itself through the air and headbutted him.

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During an interview with local station WFTV 9 about his bizarre ordeal, Darren quipped: "I was just really happy its mouth wasn't open because that's how they fish."

He went on to recall: "I got right back on my board and my pulse went to about 195 in a second. I paddled as fast as I could right out of the way."

Detailing the strange sensation of butting heads with a shark, Darren, who was previously injured in a car accident, worryingly compared it to being struck by a vehicle.

He explained: "I have a scar on the side of my elbow from [being hit by a car] 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."

While many of us would have simply packed up our surfboards and called it a day, brave Darren wasn't put off so easily and headed straight back to the exact same beach, where he and fellow surfers spent the rest of the weekend catching the waves.

Appearing upbeat despite his brush with terror, Darren revealed: "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."

Fortunately for Darren, spinner sharks aren't usually considered a threat to humans, as per the Florida Museum of Natural History. But there have been some biting incidents, with the International Shark Attack File noting that these grey-bronze coloured sharks have been responsible for 16 unprovoked attacks on humans.

However, thankfully, none of which have proven fatal, with the animal's relatively small teeth being more suited to feasting on fish, not devouring surfers. While there have been attacks, these are usually due to the shark being tempted by food sources such as spearfishing.

It may come as no surprise to those who have seen Darren's video that spinner sharks are named as such because of their impressive aerial 'spinning' antics. They are able to propel themselves high above the surface, sometimes reaching heights of 20 feet.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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