4 days after deadly shark attack, wary surfers return to the water in Morro Bay

For a time on a crisp, clear, sunny morning Tuesday in Morro Bay, Perry Shoemake was the only surfer in the water near the Rock, riding a longboard in a full-body wetsuit and hoodie.

In the wake of the deadly shark attack on Christmas Eve, the sparse turnout was not surprising.

Perhaps just as unsurprising, however, after some head-high, glassy waves rolled in, a few more surfers paddled out, and eventually about 10 were positioned to catch the waves near the Rock by around noon.

“Yesterday, nobody was in the water,” Shoemake said after emerging from his session. “I’ve been surfing for 55 years. I know (a shark attack) is always a risk. But it’s something I don’t think about much. If it happens, it happens.”

Hardly any ventured farther north closer to where the fatal Christmas Eve attack of a boogie-boarder occurred at a spot known as “The Pit.”

While the numbers were notably lower than normal for the popular spot, as any diehard surfer will tell you, the fear of sharks won’t keep them away from the sport they love for long.

“It’s definitely a lot fewer surfers than normal out here,” said Mike Leahy, 54, of Los Osos, before hitting the waves. “I’ve seen small sharks by the shore over the years. It’s a risk, but it’s also like the lottery. I don’t play the lottery because of the low odds of winning, and it’s the same with sharks. The chances of being attacked are about the same odds of winning the lottery.”

Odd are in surfers’ favor

To be sure, the likelihood that a surfer will be bitten by a shark is extremely low.

According to an article in Surfer Today, the odds of suffering a shark attack are about one in 3.7 million. Other articles on the subject generally cite odds between one and 3 million and one in 7 million.

“The truth is that humans are not part of the shark’s diet,” which include fish, seals, otters and seabirds, the Surfer Today article noted.

In most cases, sharks bite and retreat, providing the chance that someone attacked might survive, even if wounded, Surfer Today noted.

Holding a short board before embarking on head-high waves near the Rock, Xavier Gonzales said he grew up surfing in San Luis Obispo County.

“Sometimes when I’m out there with just one or two other people or even by myself, you get a certain feeling that something’s a little off, and those are the days you never want to come across,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said that Morro Bay ocean waters tend “not to be the clearest,” and he wondered whether the shark might have confused the appearance of the boogie-boarder for its usual prey.

Gonzales, before paddling out about 400 yards from “The Pit,” said he tries to put thought of sharks out of his mind.

“The chances of getting attacked are pretty low, but that’s what you sign up for when you surf,” Gonzales said. “I feel sorry for that family and that they lost somebody they love. I pray for that family.”

Lure of surfing overcomes the threat of sharks

Gonzales’ friend and surf partner for the day, Yuta Nogi, 23 of Atascadero, said he has been surfing consistently for five years, taking up the sport after serving as a lifeguard.

After waxing his board, Nogi said surfing has become a passion that’s hard to resist, even after the recent tragedy.

“I work as an EMT on an ambulance and have some really long shifts sometimes,” Nogi said. “This morning, I just finished up 25 hours, and I’m dead tired. But as soon as I get out there, I don’t have to worry about anything, just when the next wave is coming. This is my stress reliever. I love it.”

Nogi said that he has seen sharks in the water probably five or six times.

“The thing we have to remember always is that, yeah, it’s scary, but at the same time, we as humans are invading their house and when that happens, you can’t really blame the shark for attacking,” Nogi said. “It is sad, though, and I’m sure some people are staying out of the water right now.”

Although some surfers had gotten over any jitters by Tuesday and returned to the water, others were still giving it time.

Kevin Grochau of North Morro Bay spent the latter part of the morning watching the waves from the shore.

He surfs casually, but was happy to observe on land on Tuesday.

“I see as many as 25 or 30 people out in the water here sometimes,” he said. “There are some good waves today. But most of the morning, there have been anywhere from three to five people surfing.”

For his part, Gonzales was glad to be with a friend and looking forward to getting back in the water despite his fears.

Asked if he was wary about entering the ocean, Gonzales said, “I’m pretty nervous, for sure.”

“But after I paddle out and catch my first wave, I’m sure I’ll be stoked,” Gonzales said. “It’s always nice to go out with somebody versus alone.”

This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 6:46 PM with the headline "4 days after deadly shark attack, wary surfers return to the water in Morro Bay."

Nick Wilson

The Tribune

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Nick Wilson is a Tribune contributor in sports. He is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley and is originally from Ojai.