A SURFER was bitten in a horror shark attack just off the second largest Canary island.

The man was gliding above the waters off Fuerteventura on a downward foiling session – when a shark struck, attacking his board and sinking its teeth into his leg.

Spanish TV channel Antena 3 reported on the terrifying attack, explaining that the man was practising downwind foiling – a sport where a surfer uses a hydrofoil board to glide over the sea’s surface.

The channel published a video showing two bloody gashes – described as “deep” – just above the man’s knee.

It is not known if he fought off the shark, but he was able to scramble back to shore.

He was mauled on Sunday around two miles off Fuerteventura near the Los Molinos area – a popular spot on the western side of the island.

Eyewitnesses described immense panic after news of the attack broke out.

Local authorities have not confirmed whether safety measures – like beach closures or patrolling – are being implemented.

Sharks have been spotted off Fuerteventura before, leading to beach closures when jet ski patrols raised the alarm.

In March last year, Playa Blanca beach in Las Palmas was placed on high alert for sharks after the beasts were spotted off the coast of Fuerteventura.

While marine authorities occasionally urge caution in certain areas, shark attacks in the Canary Islands are extremely rare.

Last September, a 30-year-old German woman died after her leg was bitten off by a shark while she was sailing on a British boat off the coast of Western Sahara.

She was pronounced dead after being rushed to Doctor Negrin Hospital in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria.

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