Pictured: Surfer, 51, who fought off a shark by punching its nose after it latched on to his bicep

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A 51-year-old man fought off a shark in a frenzied underwater attack on Saturday
The surfer was bitten on the bicep by the shark at a beach in New South Wales
He was treated at the scene by paramedics with as many as 15 puncture wounds
The shark latched on to the man's right arm, before he punched it in the head

By Alex Chapman and Bianca Bongato For Daily Mail Austral;ia

Published: 04:17 EDT, 20 October 2018 | Updated: 04:17 EDT, 20 October 2018

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A surfer has fought off a shark by punching it in the nose after it latched on to his bicep during a frenzied underwater attack.

Paul Kenny, 51, received about 15 puncture marks when he was savagely attacked during a naked swim on Saturday morning at One Mile Beach at Port Stephens, in the New South Wales Hunter region.

'I started punching it until it let go and then started getting back out of the surf as quick as I could holding my arm cause there was blood everywhere,' Mr Kenny told ABC News.

A 51-year-old surfer (pictured) who fought off a shark by punching it in the nose after it latched on to his bicep during a frenzied underwater attack where he received a dozen puncture marks

Paul Kenny (pictured) received about a dozen puncture marks when he was attacked on Saturday morning

Mr Kenny told how he had moved 'out about a bit deeper to get a better wave' before he 'just put my head down and headbutted it, and then it just grabbed me'.

Eyewitness Kimbo Tulio said the first thing that came to Mr Kenny's mind was renowned surfer 'Mick Fanning, so he punched the shark'.

Inspector Brian Knowles told AAP Mr Kenny 'was catching his last wave to come in when he pretty much head-butted the shark when it came up in front of him'.

'The shark then spun around and latched onto his right arm. At that point, he's got a fright and punched the shark in the head. He's dislodged it and taken off to the beach,' he said.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to the scene about 8am, where the crew were told he was the only surfer in the water at the time of the attack.

Four ambulance crews had initially made their way to the scene but three were called off once the minor nature of his injuries were revealed.

Mr Kenny's right bicep required stitches, according to Yahoo 7 News.

He was later taken to John Hunter Hospital by ambulance, where he remains in a stable condition.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter (pictured) attended the scene, treating him for minor injuries

Mr Kenny said he could not clearly identify the type of shark but also said that it was likely a bull shark, according to 7 News.

The beach had just reopened on Friday after a sperm whale washed ashore on Tuesday.

It is believed that the whale carcass could have drawn more sharks close to the shore.

'A 20-tonne excavator and front-end loader were used to remove the 10-tonne whale carcass to a local disposal site for burial away from the beach,' a NPWS spokesman said on Friday.

Authorities had cut the carcass into more manageable pieces to remove the deceased animal from the sand, with the remains sparking concerns for the possibility of increased shark presence.

One Mile Beach and nearby Samurai Beach has been closed until further notice, Surf Life Saving NSW says.