FIVE sharks were seen off central coast beaches yesterday less than 12 hours after a surfer was bitten by what was thought to be a bronze whaler at North Avoca.
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Mike Wells, a local semi-professional surfer and surf shop worker, received stitches and had surgery to prevent infection to about 50 puncture wounds on his right arm.
The 28-year-old was attacked at dusk on Tuesday in the water not far from the beachfront house he rents with his girlfriend, Samantha Symonds.
She said he was doing well and was expected to be discharged from Gosford Hospital last night.
On a surfing blog a friend, Grant Molony, said he was ''cracking jokes [and was] a lucky man with a story to tell for years to come''.
Mr Wells used his left hand to fight off the shark, which was about the size of his surfboard.
A neighbour, called Max, said beach walkers helped when he came ashore bleeding. His surfboard strap was used as a tourniquet and a towel covered gashes.
''He was as white as anything but still lucid. I think shock was setting in,'' he said.
Yesterday a Westpac life saver rescue helicopter spotted five sharks up to four metres long at Copacabana Beach and Avoca Beach, which was closed for an hour. Large numbers of baitfish are thought to be attracting them.
One surfer at North Avoca, Lachlan Taylor, 19, went into the water about 8am yesterday and saw masses of fish. ''Then I saw a huge shadow so I just absolutely bolted,'' he said.
