An ideal day for swimming on Lengthy Island got here to a crashing halt Saturday when a shark was noticed at Nickerson Seaside — the most recent in a report variety of encounters with the apex predators.
Lifeguards on the Nassau County park, which is positioned on the island’s South Shore, noticed the fins about 75 ft from the shore and instantly closed the seaside, the city of Hempstead introduced on X round 12:30 p.m.
Close by Malibu and Lido seashores had been additionally closed.
“Our extremely expert lifeguards are on alert and can proceed to watch the waters carefully to make sure your security,” the city stated in its put up.
The scare was short-lived and beachgoers had been allowed to return to the water a number of hours later, in keeping with native stories.
The area was swamped with temperatures into the 90s and intense humidity Saturday.
The sighting comes after a 7-foot shark noticed at Lido Seaside in July made waves.
Hempstead City Supervisor Don Clavin introduced final month that the city’s Shark Patrol was mobilized given the report variety of shark sightings over the previous a number of years.
The patrol has been scoping out the waterways with drones geared up with thermal and infrared imaginative and prescient and responding to sightings on a brand new fleet of boats, in keeping with a press launch.
The rise in shark sightings has additionally continued at New York Metropolis seashores in addition to Lengthy Island’s North Shore.
13 shark bites had been recorded on Lengthy Island in simply the previous two years.
