“I was not attacked by a shark, I fell on top of it,” wrote bodyboarder Vinicius Cavalcanti on his Instagram who was bitten by a lemon shark yesterday while surfing in Cacimba do Padre, Fernando de Noronha, a beach that will host a stage of the world tour in four days.

“He did what any human being would do, he just fought back!” he added. “I was the one who was reckless! I was surfing in the late afternoon with a school of sardines and even after I saw the shark was in the water, I stayed there.”

“What happened was an incident, just that, and I learned my lesson, I don't surf anymore at the end of the afternoon with the bugs there feeding. But when I'm healthy again, I'm going to surf, I need the sea,” he added.

The surfer then thanked the hospital staff where he was treated.

According to the Brazilian specialized website, Waves, the victim works on the beach selling Açaí and at the end of the day he went into the water.

According to Fluir magazine, there has already been controversy in Noronha on one occasion, sometimes surfers claim to have been attacked and locals deny it because they want to protect the island's tourism.

On February 5, the Chico Mendes Biodiversity Institute warned that there could be attacks in the coming days because they had recorded the remains of a whale on a beach in the archipelago.

The island authorities reported that due to this attack and in view of the event that begins on the 19th, they will meet to plan the security of the athletes.

Cavalcanti was bitten on the neck and forehead, suffered deep wounds but was released two hours later after receiving a few stitches.