All-out shark safety blitz underway at Jones Beach after woman is bitten. Here's what to know.
As the Fourth of July holiday approaches and families are planning beach time, some people on Long Island have lingering fears of the ocean.
A woman was bitten in the waters off Jones Beach last week. Experts say she was likely bitten by a juvenile sand tiger shark.
Now an all-out shark safety blitz is underway at Jones Beach. Drones are up, lifeguards are on alert, and helicopters are in the sky.
"We have more eyes on the water than we've ever had," said George Gorman, regional director for New York state Parks.
Uniquely qualified patrols are geared toward calming fears after an upstate woman was bitten on her foot and shin, causing a gash and leaving tooth marks.
"The juvenile sand tiger shark may have been feeding and bit the 20-year-old female by accident," Gorman said.
"They are perfectly happy eating small fish, like menhaden and squid. They are not interested, nor do they have the teeth to go after something approximately their size, which is what most humans are," South Fork Natural History Museum shark research director Gregory Metzger said.
There are more than two dozen shark species in the waters off Long Island. Sand tiger sharks, like the one presumed to have bitten the swimmer, can grow to 10-and-a-half feet, much smaller than the 25-foot great white depicted in the movie "Jaws."
"We feel safe here"
The Ribeiro family from Valley Stream aren't shark fans, but they love to swim.
"We feel safe here because if something happens, there are lifeguards here," they said.
"We look out for sharks. We have seen little sand tiger sharks at the shore, but I feel like the beach is so safe. They are using the drones to patrol," mother Maura Gentile said.
"I've been swimming here and body boarding her for 30 years, and I believe I've been brushed by one, once," swimmer Doug Aaronsen said.
At nearby Nickerson Beach, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said collaboration among state, county, town, city and villages mean shark spotting from the sky beings immediate warnings.
"We've had a lot of sightings, quite frankly. Because when the water gets really warm, the sharks are chasing the fish," Blakeman said. "I'm going to take a dip in the water today just to show that it's safe."
Ways to steer clear of sharks at the beach
New York State Parks says swimmers can do the following to minimize the risk of shark interactions:
- Avoid areas with seals
- Avoid areas with schools of fish, splashing fish, or diving seabirds
- Avoid swimming at dusk, night, and dawn
- Avoid murky water
- Swim, paddle, and surf in groups
- Stay close to shore, where your feet can touch the bottom
- Always follow the instructions of lifeguards and Parks' staff
