Overview

• Jens Heller was knocked off his board by a shark bite about 100 yards offshore on May 31 but escaped without injury.
• California State Parks closed Montara State Beach for 48 hours after lifeguards cleared the water and posted shark-warning signage.
• Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel swabbed Heller’s surfboard for DNA before surrendering the board for further laboratory analysis.
• Surfers at the scene estimated the animal at roughly 10 feet long, matching juvenile white shark measurements common in California encounters.
• Despite the close call, Heller says he will continue surfing elsewhere while avoiding Montara State Beach for the foreseeable future.