Swim in ‘quiet areas’ of the ocean to avoid shark attacks: shark researchers
There’s been a noticeable uptick in shark attacks this summer, prompting urgent discussions among experts. Just recently, beaches in New York were closed due to sightings of bull sharks, while a swimmer was bitten in Queens and a child was attacked in Florida while playing in knee-deep water. Chris Fischer, founder of OCEARCH, highlighted that shark populations have rebounded to levels not seen since the 1960s. He advised beachgoers to stay safe by swimming in quieter areas when prey fish are active.
With shark sightings climbing sharply along the East Coast, beachgoers are understandably on edge. For instance, a man swimming at Long Island’s Jones Beach State Park Field 6 sustained non-life-threatening lacerations, believed to be from a small sand tiger shark. The beach had to close temporarily as state officials searched for additional sharks, but it reopened just an hour later with limited swimming access.
Recently, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation alerted beachgoers about potential closures at Rockaway Beach in Queens due to multiple shark sightings—there have been 23 in total since May.
Interestingly, the first five days of July alone accounted for 16 of those sightings. The city’s Office of Emergency Management advised those looking to cool off to heed the lifeguards’ warnings.
Just a couple of days earlier, a lifeguard spotted a shark near Point Lookout, which led to another brief beach closure. In late June, a fisherman caught and released a 5.5-foot sand shark roughly 200 meters off the Connecticut shore, thankfully with no injuries reported.
The surge in shark sightings might also be linked to boosted surveillance efforts announced by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in May. New York’s Department of Parks, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Department, is ramping up monitoring with drones specifically to look for shark activity this summer.
Gavin Naylor from the Florida Museum of Natural History notes that shark bites are quite rare, especially when effective warning systems are in place. For instance, Alabama recently implemented the Lulu Gribbin Shark Warning System Act after a survivor lost part of her leg and hand in an attack. This system notifies people via emergency alerts on their phones when a shark attack is confirmed near Alabama beaches.
“Had there been a warning system, there’s a good chance Lulu wouldn’t have been in the water,” remarked Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, who sponsored the bill, highlighting that small changes can indeed lead to significant impacts.
Moreover, Naylor also noted that if someone is bitten and an alarm goes off, the likelihood of another bite occurring shortly thereafter diminishes dramatically.
For those interested in tracking shark movements, the OCEARCH Shark Tracker offers a free online map that utilizes satellite tracking of tagged sharks.
