Shark attacks in California are exceptionally rare, averaging fewer than two incidents per year across the state over the last decade, according to the California Academy of Sciences. Heller said he believed he was attacked by a white shark, which is the primary species involved in nearly all unprovoked attacks in California.

Luckily for one California surfer, a shark swimming in San Mateo County waters over the weekend managed to get only a sample of his surfboard. Jens Heller was about 100 yards offshore at Montara State Beach sitting on his board Saturday when the shark attacked, according to reporting from the San Francisco Chronicle.

A surfer's board was bitten by a shark at Montara State Beach outside San Francisco, leading to a temporary closure of the park. But scientists say these encounters are relatively rare, with only 47 unprovoked shark encounters worldwide in the last year.