A man spearfishing off the coast of Key West, Florida, was attacked by an eight-foot shark Sunday. Parker Simpson, 23, was submerged in about 50 feet of water when what appeared to be a reef shark appeared out of nowhere.

Simpson was spearfishing near Middle Sambo Reef off Boca Chica when the incident occurred. In a video which he uploaded to YouTube, the shark can be seen suddenly appearing, charging Simpson and taking a chunk out of his left leg before disappearing. Simpson, to his credit, remained impressively calm in the wake of the attack, swimming back to his friend’s boat which then transported him to land.

Read: Kentucky Teen Bitten In Florida Escapes Shark Attack By Punching It

A trip to the hospital and 50 stitches later, Simpson said the incident hadn’t deterred him from the water.

“[Sharks are] a superior hunter,” he said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “I still love them.”

The waters surrounding Key West are home to the third largest barrier reef in the world, a massive marine ecosystem known to house an abundance of species. Spotting sharks in the area is not uncommon. According to a report released by the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Program for Shark Research, unprovoked attacks by sharks have risen in recent years, especially in Florida. The state had the most unprovoked attacks in the nation, at 51 percent, and accounted for 30.6 percent of the world’s unprovoked attacks.

“The higher number of encounters in these… counties is attributable to high aquatic recreational utilization of the area’s long and attractive beaches and waters by both Florida residents and tourists, including large numbers of surfers, and to the rich nature of its marine fauna,” the report said.

George H. Burgess, who coordinated the report, had a simple explanation for the rising number of attacks.

“Unprovoked attacks have slowly grown over the years,” said Burgess, according to Florida Keys News. “But that’s only because more people are in the water than ever before.”

And shark sightings haven’t been limited to Florida. Southern California has seen an increase in sightings as well, including reports of a number of great white sharks. A 35-year-old swimmer was attacked in shallow water on a beach Near San Diego in May, leading to beach closures and concerned residents.

“I attribute a lot of that to better conservation,” marine biologist Dr. Chris Lowe told CBS News at the time. “We protected white sharks 20 years ago in California, their food source has come back, and in many ways, our coastal oceans are getting healthier.”

Read: Shark Attacks Increasing On California Coast Beaches In 2017

That shark sightings bode well for ocean’s health is a fact experts agree on.

“Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you’re lucky enough to see lots of them, that means you’re in a healthy ocean,” said Dr. Silvia Earle, marine biologist, explorer and author, according to Florida Keys News. “You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don’t’ see sharks.”

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