New York Shark Attacks

For the second straight summer, July has started out like a scene from "Jaws" on New York beaches. Four swimmers were attacked and bitten over the past holiday weekend.

Last summer, for about a three week period on New York's south shore beaches, ocean swimmers were on shark alert. Six victims were bitten during that time period in rather shallow water, on the white sands of Long Island. This year, New York's Governor Kathy Hochul says that the state parks are ready to take on the monsters of the deep.

It's been an interesting summer on the beaches of New York and sharks have been a big part of that intrigue. From late June to mid- July, six people were attacked by the beasts of the deep on the Empire State's southern shores. However, since that time, no swimmers have been attacked by the razor toothed predators. On Sunday, one beachgoer on Long Island appeared to be turning the tide on one shark.

In an article published on Thursday, Katherine Donlevy of the New York Post alleged that the recent string of shark attacks off the coast of New York recently are the result of a bill that was passed unanimously in both the senate and assembly in 2019. The bill was signed into law by former Governor Cuomo to help stimulate the population of a baitfish called Atlantic Menhaden, also known as "Bunker" to fisherman.

In the latest incident in the 'summer of shark' on the southern beaches of New York State, the corpse of a great white shark washed ashore on Wednesday in Quogue, New York. There have been four confirmed shark attacks on the beaches of Long Island in the month of July alone. Swimmers, as well as government officials have been very concerned that the next one could be deadly.

In an unprecedented time of shark attacks along the south shore beaches of Long Island, the New York State Parks Department, along with other town parks are being forced to close their beaches during their prime season. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers head to Jones Beach and the surrounding areas to soak in the summer sun. However, with a real-life "Jaws" situation going on, Thursday more beaches were closed due to multiple shark sightings.

Truly out of the pages of "Jaws", New York beachgoers have a real question on their hands. Is is safe to go in the water? And, if you are on any of the southern Long Island beaches from the Rockaways to Montauk, the answer right now is NO. On Wednesday night, the 5th shark bit victim in two weeks and the 2nd in ONE DAY occurred in waist deep water off the beaches of Fire Island, less than 50 miles from where a surfer was hit Wednesday morning in Smith Point.

With 3 shark attacks in a little more than a week off New York beaches has local officials, marine biologists and scientists looking for answers. According to the The Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File says there have been 10 unprovoked incidents of human-shark interactions in New York over the past 100 years, including the 3 from last week! That is one every ten yeas and now there have been 3 in a week? Something is different and according to local researchers, it could be a good thing.

A lifeguard swimming off Fire Island on Thursday was bitten in the foot by a shark. Three shark attacks in one week, off the beaches of Long Island, have prompted "Dangerous Marine Life" warning flags for some New York beaches. The first thing that may come to mind is the 1975 classic movie, "Jaws." It was just a movie...right? Was there a real life "Jaws" situation, where one shark was targeting human victims? As far as we know, the answer is YES!