May 8

HONOLULU -- A woman snorkeling off Maui was bitten in the leg by a shark Monday, about an hour after a nearby beach was closed due to a report of a shark bumping a surfer.

The woman, sustained injuries to her foot and calf and was taken to a hospital. The injuries were not life threatening.

The attack occurred off Keawakapu Beach in Kihei. It was reported at 8:34 a.m. by a bystander on the beach. The size and type of shark was not immediately known.

At 7:30 a.m., a surfer reported that his friend's surfboard was bumped by what appeared to be a tiger shark about a mile and a half away, prompting a closure of that beach and a shark alert by the county.

Normally, what happens in a shark sighting is they close that front area and a one mile up and down the beach.

After the attack, the closure was expanded to a four-mile stretch of beach.

There were four shark attacks in Hawaii in 2006. None were fatal.

There are about 40 species of sharks that live in Hawaiian waters, but the most frequently encountered are the tiger, whitetip reef, sandbar, and scalloped hammerhead sharks, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

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