Eyes out for sharks
Nassau increases patrols after sightings
It’s a shore thing they’re playing it safe.
Nassau County stepped up helicopter and marine patrols following coastal shark sightings on consecutive days.
On Thursday, a pair of sand sharks measuring up to five feet in length were spotted at Jones Beach, ABC News reported. A day earlier, a shark was spotted roughly 75 feet off Nickerson Beach.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said at a press conference Friday that reports of a bull shark sighting hadn’t been confirmed, but warned that should that be case, caution is advised.
“Just to tell you a little abut these kinds of sharks, they have aggressive tendencies, they do prefer shallow water and that means they can come into contact with humans,” she said.
National Geographic describes the bull shark as a carnivore that can weigh up to 500 pounds and reach lengths of more than 11 feet. They’re described as “fast, agile predators” considered by many experts to be the world’s most dangerous.
A photo of a stingray that had seemingly been bitten by a shark in the area led experts to believe a bull shark, or perhaps a tiger shark, was on the prowl.
According to Curran, warm streams flowing into Long Island from the tropics and cleaner water are bringing sharks closer to the beaches. She advised those looking to take a “quick dip” to not go “further than your waist into the water.”
Curran then offered a series of tips for swimmers who want to tread carefully in coming days. For starters, she suggested staying close to the shore, traveling with chums, not wearing anything shiny and avoiding “prime food hunting time” for sharks, which is dusk and dawn.
“And the most obvious, you can probably guess it, don’t swim in the water when you’re bleeding,” she warned.
Sharks have a sense of smell and are attracted to blood.
Swimmers were temporarily ordered out of the water after Wednesday and Thursday’s sightings.
“Most sharks are not looking for trouble,” Curran said, noting there have been about 12 recorded attacks since 1837. The most recent was in 2018 when two children suffered non-life threatening injuries.
One beachgoer who talked to News 12 on Friday said she was glad to hear the situation was being monitored.
“I’m glad they’re increasing patrols ... I’m afraid of sharks, but this is such a beautiful day, the sharks are not going to keep us from the beach,” the woman said.