A slight increase in shark sightings caused New York beaches to be tightly monitored by drones, jet skis, and kayaks to ensure the safety of the beaches.
Recently, New York stepped up shark patrols along Long Island’s beaches after unusually high sightings last summer. A lifeguard supervisor, Justine Anderson, said, “[Shark patrolling has] become part of our daily routine.” Over the past few years, Anderson declared shark sightings to be extremely rare. However, the summer of 2021 brought daily instances where sharks were alarmingly close to swimmers. Portions of Long Island’s beach had to be temporarily closed due to these shark sightings.
Over Memorial Day weekend, a 10-foot mako shark washed up at Point Lookout, New York, and this week, authorities claimed a man may have also been bitten by a shark.
According to the New York Times, the “lifesaving department [of] Long Island are taking the shark situation more seriously. [At the same time,] facing staffing issues among a national lifeguard shortage.”
Cary Epstein, a veteran lifeguard at Jones Beach, claimed “[he] never had to do this in [his] 25 years as a lifeguard.” Last summer, Epstein monitored the ocean surface with his own personal drone. Now, a new drone unit is following Epstein’s lead as sightings increase.
Not only are lifeguards searching for sharks above the surface, but the staff also monitor sharks that have previously been assigned a GPS tag. The GPS tag provides an accurate location of the shark so lifeguards can warn people if a shark is nearby.
Hans Walters, a field scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium, claimed that “the danger [of sharks] to people is infinitesimal.” Research shows no significant increase in the shark population in recent years. Mr. Walters said, “[Sharks have] been prowling the ocean for millions of years and there are no more sharks here this year, or last year, or the year before that. We’re just looking for them more.”
Recently, New York stepped up shark patrols along Long Island’s beaches after unusually high sightings last summer. A lifeguard supervisor, Justine Anderson, said, “[Shark patrolling has] become part of our daily routine.” Over the past few years, Anderson declared shark sightings to be extremely rare. However, the summer of 2021 brought daily instances where sharks were alarmingly close to swimmers. Portions of Long Island’s beach had to be temporarily closed due to these shark sightings.
Over Memorial Day weekend, a 10-foot mako shark washed up at Point Lookout, New York, and this week, authorities claimed a man may have also been bitten by a shark.
According to the New York Times, the “lifesaving department [of] Long Island are taking the shark situation more seriously. [At the same time,] facing staffing issues among a national lifeguard shortage.”
Cary Epstein, a veteran lifeguard at Jones Beach, claimed “[he] never had to do this in [his] 25 years as a lifeguard.” Last summer, Epstein monitored the ocean surface with his own personal drone. Now, a new drone unit is following Epstein’s lead as sightings increase.
Not only are lifeguards searching for sharks above the surface, but the staff also monitor sharks that have previously been assigned a GPS tag. The GPS tag provides an accurate location of the shark so lifeguards can warn people if a shark is nearby.
Hans Walters, a field scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium, claimed that “the danger [of sharks] to people is infinitesimal.” Research shows no significant increase in the shark population in recent years. Mr. Walters said, “[Sharks have] been prowling the ocean for millions of years and there are no more sharks here this year, or last year, or the year before that. We’re just looking for them more.”
