When Hawaiian Mike Coots had his right leg bitten off by a tiger shark at age 17 he had no idea he would spend his life trying to protect the creature that took a piece of him.

Far from staying away from the ocean he has little fear about getting in the water with sharks.

"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

Coots was part of a successful campaign to ban the sale and possession of shark fins in the US and said sharks are not as dangerous to humans as many people think.

"If sharks wanted to eat people there would be attacks every single day on beaches up and down this coast, and there aren't."

Coots said he finds sharks fascinating and that his interest in sharks has grown since his attack.

"Sharks are on their way out, they predate the dinosaurs and I think they're in the oceans for a reason," he told 702 ABC Sydney Breakfast presenter Robbie Buck.

The amputee said it is important that he does his bit to protect them.

"If I can do anything as a shark attack survivor to leverage that, to help save a species, then why not."

He attributes his continued love of the ocean with growing up on a small island surrounded by the sea his whole life.

The morning of the shark attack

Shark attack survivor Mike Coots is committed to the protection of sharks. ( Ocean Ramsey )

Coots was attacked in 1997 while surfing on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

"It was early in the morning, it was just a typical morning.

"I got out there and my friends had all caught a wave early on and I was sitting out there with a fellow surfer."

When Coots started paddling for a wave a tiger shark came up from underneath him and grabbed onto his leg.

"Basically it was a blindsided attack, like a submarine came up and grabbed onto me.

"It started shaking me violently back and forth," he said.

Instinctively Coots started swinging punches at the shark.

"It let go and I got back on my board, I looked at the surfer and he was pretty freaked out," he said.

Coots then started paddling into shore when his right leg started shaking uncontrollably.

He said he thought the shark had come back to finish him off.

"I looked over my shoulder and it wasn't a shark, it was my leg perfectly amputated.

"A surgeon could not have done a better job, it was sliced right in half, like something out of a horror movie."

Coots' friends dragged him up the beach and made a tourniquet with his leg rope and tied it around his thigh.

"Which later I found out absolutely saved my life."

The benefits of surfing for amputees

Mike Coots said surfing has huge benefits for amputees. ( Mike Coots )

The 35-year-old now uses a specially designed waterproof prosthetic leg while surfing.

He said surfing is a good sport for someone who has lost a limb.

"I think it's one of the greatest things you can do as an amputee.

"You have gravity all day long, you jump on a surfboard there's no gravity.

"I've been an amputee for 17 years and I have no back pain issues and I credit that a lot to surfing," he said.

It is not just surfing that Coots can see the positive side of things in.

"The shark attack itself has been probably the greatest thing that's ever happened to me in a weird way.

"It's brought wonderful relationships with people and I'm able to visit a wonderful country such as this," he said.

Mike Coots is in Australia visiting his prosthetist Vala Dis Birgisdottir, a world leader in artificial limbs.

While he is here he wants to share the benefits of surfing with other amputees.

He is encouraging amputees of all abilities and ages to come to Manly Beach this Saturday, March 21 from midday for a come and try surfing day.

"Come down, have fun and let's go catch some waves," he said.

For details and registration contact Ms Dis Birgisdottir on 02 4969 8700 or email vbirgisdottir@apcprosthetics.com.au