NEW SMYRNA BEACH --. A 17-year-old Mims girl is the first shark-bite victim for 2009 in Volusia County, where a record 24 attacks were reported last year.
The girl was surfing just south of Ponce de Leon Inlet Wednesday evening when she got nipped, a bite small enough that Band-Aids were used and stitches averted, the Beach Patrol reported.
This year's shark season has gotten off to a later start compared to 2008, when the first bite was Feb. 17.
A combination of murky water, bait fish and big waves attract the 3- to 5-foot-long sharks, who have little interest in humans.