LONG BEACH, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — A college student says he caught a nearly 8-foot long bull shark in the waters off Long Island, New York earlier this month.
TJ Minutillo, a 21-year-old college student from Manhasset, tells WCBS 880's Sophia Hall that he caught the nearly 400-pound bull shark while fishing off of Lido Beach on July 19.
Minutillo said he struggled with the shark for two hours before releasing it back into the water.
It is not known whether it was the same bull shark said to have been spotted in the waters off Nassau County this week among a series of sightings that have spotted swimming bans all along the South Shore for three consecutive days.
Bull sharks can grow to be 14-feet long and are known to be aggressive.
Stefanou has been working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the past seven years — catching, tagging and releasing sharks to monitor their movements.
He said bull sharks have slowly moved their way up from Florida's waters to Long Island because of the warmer temperatures.
Officials are advising beachgoers to stay close to the shore, swim in groups and go into only waist-deep water for now.
They should also refrain from wearing shiny jewelry, which sharks can mistake for the scales of a fish, and Stefanou also cautions against wearing black wetsuit which could be mistaken for a seal.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said shark attacks in the area are rare, noting there have been 12 attacks in the water since 1837.
Meanwhile, researchers have been tracking a 10-foot long great white shark nicknamed Miss May off the coast of Atlantic City this week. The group Ocearch said she usually heads up around Montauk and into the Cape Cod area every year from Florida.
On Monday, a New York City woman was killed by a great white off the coast of Maine.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM AppFollow RADIO.COMFacebook | Twitter | Instagram