On Dec 24th a male surfer was bitten by a shark at Morro Bay, in California. Despite the assistance of bystanders, the man was not responsive after being taken out of the water and succumb to his injuries. Local authorities closed the area to marine recreation for 24 hours. ISAF and local authorities are still working on this investigation.

During the last decade, ISAF has recorded 29 unprovoked bites in California, only 2 of which were fatal. Both of these cases involved a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Thanks to conservation efforts the white shark population along the California coast is recovering, though ISAF has not observed any increase in bites or fatalities.

See a map of all recorded bites in California here