A 40-year-old man was hospitalized Sunday after being bitten by a shark while surfing off New Smyrna Beach, a popular surf destination in Florida.

Volusia County is considered the unofficial “shark bite capital of the world,” according to the International Shark Attack File in Gainesville. There were eight shark bites reported in the county in 2024, more than half of the 14 reported in Florida that same year, according to statistics.