MONTARA, CALIFORNIA — A weekend surf outing turned into a harrowing close call for a California man after a shark lunged at his board just offshore at Montara State Beach in San Mateo County. Fortunately, the surfer — Jens Heller — walked away unscathed, with the shark managing to snag only a piece of his surfboard.
The encounter occurred Saturday, while Heller was sitting on his board approximately 100 yards from shore. He was out on the water for just 10 to 15 minutes when he suddenly felt something knock him off his board.
“I felt something under my foot kick me off the board,” Heller told Powerlines Productions, a surf media outlet. “I looked back and saw this big mouth grabbing onto my board.”
He described seeing the shark’s black eye and teeth before scrambling to get back on his board and swimming to shore in what he described as a “slow-motion panic.” Once safely on land, Heller says he was overwhelmed by adrenaline and immediately checked himself for bites.
“It’s my lucky day, I guess,” Heller said. “I can’t believe it didn’t get me at all. I was like, what are the odds?”
Beach Closed, Investigation Underway
Lifeguards closed Montara Beach for two days following the incident, as a safety precaution. Officials from California State Parks and the Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived on the scene, swabbing Heller’s surfboard for shark DNA and taking it for bite analysis. They expect to identify the shark species within a week.
Although unconfirmed, the bite marks suggest the encounter likely involved a white shark, also known as a great white — the most common shark species involved in attacks in the region.
Context: Shark Activity Along the California Coast
Saturday’s incident is California’s second reported shark encounter of 2025, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. On May 20, a swimmer at Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego was bumped by a shark but was not injured.
Since 1950, 195 white shark incidents have been recorded across California. The vast majority involve surfers, freedivers, or kayakers, who may be mistaken for seals — the sharks’ typical prey.
Scientists emphasize that many shark encounters are not predatory, but are instead exploratory in nature. Juvenile sharks, which can reach up to 10 feet in length, sometimes bump or bite unfamiliar objects to learn more about their environment.
“These are often investigative bites,” said a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson. “Sharks are naturally curious, and sometimes mistakes happen — especially in turbid or low-visibility waters.”
Montara Beach has seen previous incidents. In June 2021, a swimmer was seriously injured by a white shark approximately a mile north of the site of this weekend’s event.
Staying Safe in Shark Waters
Authorities advise beachgoers to:
- Avoid water during dawn, dusk, or overcast conditions
- Stay close to shore
- Refrain from wearing shiny jewelry or splashing excessively
- Always check posted signs and alerts before entering the water
Despite the scare, Heller said the incident won’t keep him out of the ocean.
“I still love surfing. I’ll be back out there — just maybe not right away,” he said with a smile.
