NICKERSON BEACH, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Long Island officials are increasing coastline and aerial patrols to watch for sharks after two sightings shut down beaches on the south shore this week.
One shark was spotted swimming near Nickerson Beach on Wednesday, according to Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
“A shark, we weren't quite sure of the species, was spotted about 25 yards off the shore,” she explained.
One day later, two more sharks were spotted along the coastline, closing some areas for swimming for about an hour.
“There was a sighting yesterday at Jones Beach, where two sand sharks, approximately 4 to 5-feet in length, were spotted close to the shoreline by Field 6,” said Curran.
She notes that patrols are now stepping up dramatically to keep beachgoers safe. If anything is spotted coming too close to the shores, those patrols will alert lifeguards, who will then be able to convey the information to beachgoers and will shutdown the waters for swimming.
Curran says they had to step up patrols last year too, as sharks have been migrating north more frequently.
“The number of shark sightings really has increased this summer and last summer, all the way from Florida up to Cape Cod, many more shark sightings than normal,” Curran said. “This is attributed to numerous factors: warmer water, cleaner water – that brings more bunker that attracts the sharks.”
Two children were bitten, but survived, in 2018 off the coast of Fire Island.
Swimmers are advised to take proper precautions before heading into the ocean and Curran notes that people should avoid going in alone, if possible.
“If you're swimming alone, the sharks can be confused and think that you’re one of their natural prey,” said Curran. “If you're with a bunch of other people, they’re much less likely to make that mistake. If you are swimming alone, avoid swimming alone at dawn or dusk because that’s prime time for sharks.”