A long-distance swimmer was attacked by a hooked great white shark off Manhattan Beach, California, but lived to tell the tale.

A fisherman on the pier hooked the 2.5 metre shark and was trying to reel it in when the victim swam by, LAFD spokesman Rick Flores said.

"It was agitated and when the swimmer got close, it bit him," Flores told CNN.

The victim was part of a group of swimmers training in the waters near the pier. They did not see the shark until it was too late.

The victim was bit in the torso, suffering a wound Flores described as "moderate."

"The shark bit the swimmer and then released," he said.