The 64-year-old is receiving critical care after serious injuries to his left arm, left leg, and stomach.

A British man has been seriously injured after an “unusual” shark attack on the Caribbean island of Tobago.

The 64-year-old is receiving critical care after the bull shark attack left him with injuries to his left arm, left leg, and stomach, Tobago’s Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation said.

The division said the man, who was holidaying on Tobago, had been attacked 10 metres off the shore in Great Courland Bay, also known as Turtle beach, on the island’s north coast at 09:15 (14:15 BST) on Friday morning.

The emergency services were contacted immediately and once the man had been rescued from the water, he was taken to hospital for surgery.

The division said the attack was “unusual and unfortunate”. It added that Tobago House of Assembly’s emergencies agencies had closed Turtle beach until further notice, and advised that the same should happen with beaches on the island’s west coast.

It also said all reef tours in the area had been suspended and that drones were being used to monitor the area.

“This is a very unusual occurrence as Tobago is renowned for its safe and beautiful beaches … The division would also like to reassure the public that the safety of our visitors is a priority and all expertise are being engaged to ensure safety and manage this situation as best as possible,” the division said.

The Foreign Office said it was supporting the victim’s family and was in contact with the local authorities.

The incident involved a bull shark estimated to be eight to 10 ft (2.4m to 3m) long and 2ft (60cm) wide, a statement from the Tobago House of Assembly said.

Eyewitness Orion Jakerov, a water sports manager at the nearby Starfish Hotel, described how the shark had struck in shallow water and people had tried to fight it off.

He told the local broadcaster TTT Live: “I don’t think they saw it. They were about waist height in the water so they weren’t out of their depth. I think their backs were turned and they were just kind of lounging around. Nobody saw the shark coming.

Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said a $10,000 (£8,000) bounty was placed on the bull shark before being retracted.

He said the man attacked had had some fingers reattached but still had “significant wounds” to one of his legs and would require “extensive work”.

“The task at this time for our health professionals is really to stabilise and ensure that we can save life and limb as much as possible,” he added.

Augustine said the man had been in Tobago with his wife and friends and that the group had been due to fly home on Friday.

He added that the local government was working closely with the British High Commission to "ensure that the family gets all that they need during this difficult time”.

Shark attacks on Tobago are rare – most attacks in the region take place further north, in the central Caribbean and off the eastern and southern coasts of the US, according to the International Shark Attack File database.

In the last 20 years, there have been only two recorded shark attacks as far south as Tobago, and neither was within 200 miles of the island itself.