“Almost Left With a Few Less Toes”: Army of Sharks Cause Trouble to Surfing Pro Trying to Paddle Out in Florida

Aren’t surfers wanderers too? On the beach, the wave pursuers often gather for an exhilarating surfing spree. For surfers who go to several beaches in search of the ideal wave, the season of beach hopping has arrived. The east of the Atlantic Ocean remains a common habitat for marine life that migrates across various distances in water. Likewise, surfers frequently end up making friends with young animals sharing similar hood.

One such sighting of a school of infant sharks at a beach was seen a while back. Though the pro surfer didn’t seem troubled by their presence, and the sharks acquired a similar adherence to him, the internet went crazy over this sight after seeing a video of the wynorrific meetup.

American surfer adds surfing with sharks to his portfolio

Michael Dunphy, a professional surfer from Florida, began this year with a little adventure when he went surfing at New Smyrna Beach where young sharks were present. On Tuesday, January 17, he shared a video on his Instagram account that showed multiple interactions with the deadly mini-creatures. The baby sharks were everywhere, and a few even swam in front of him just a meter away as he carried his surfboard. He captioned the post, “Almost left with a few less toes today. #sharktank #newsmyrnabeach.”

In addition to having great command over the ocean waves since a very young age, Dunphy has also made friends with some of the beach animals while practicing. As shown in the video, the 33-year-old surfer regularly hangs out at the local beach with white sand and waves that average 1.6 feet high. Even if the height might occasionally reach 2.6 feet, the picturesque beach serves as the ideal location for his beach activities.

At 9, he earned the first sponsor showing his dedication to the sport. In 2014, he became the first local to win in 33 years at the East Coast Surfing Championship in Virginia Beach. Eventually, Dunphy was voted the East Coast Surfer of the Year by Eastern Surf Magazine. The eventful year came to a halt when he missed the selection at World Championship Tour. Do you know that he has surfed alongside a legend?

Surfing highlights from Michael Dunphy’s career

Known for competing in WSL heats with surfing great Kelly Slater, who was trounced by Dunphy at the Jeep Surf Ranch Pro in 2021. The same year, he took home two significant WSL North America men’s QS tour titles. He was a wildcard entry at the Regional Qualifying Series, which further advanced his journey to the Challenger Series. He entered the competition to surf in all eight events but failed at the highest level of pro surf events. Losing his Championship Tour dreams.

Interestingly, he chose to surf over his favorite sports of ice and floor hockey. Yet, he once mentioned that after he retires from competitive surfing, he intends to enter the real estate market. He gave some sage advice when he stated, “It’s fine if it takes a while.” Although he hasn’t left the blues, it appears that it is now more welcoming to him than ever.

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