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Will NYC have another hot shark summer? Experts say 'maybe' and that's OK.

By

Catalina Gonella

Published May 28, 2023

Modified Aug 8, 2023

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A sign warning people about sharks.

Jay Ondreicka / Shutterstock

By

Catalina Gonella

Published May 28, 2023

Modified Aug 8, 2023

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There were six confirmed shark bites off the beaches of New York last summer — that’s more than in the previous 10 years combined, according to the International Shark Attack File.

All of last year’s victims survived with non-life threatening injuries, but the incidents sounded alarm bells for beachgoers in New York and resulted in enhanced response from state agencies this year. With New York City beaches opening over the weekend, here is what New Yorkers heading out to the surf should know.

More sharks, more encounters

Water cleanup and wildlife conservation efforts have increased the number of sharks in New York waters in recent years, and in turn, the chances of people encountering them.

“We're cleaning up the water,” said Craig O'Connell, with the Montauk-based conservation group O'Seas Conservation Foundation. “When you're protecting prey, you're cleaning up the water, you're protecting the predators, predator populations start to increase. So we might be seeing more sharks along our coastline.”

While, of course, no one wants beachgoers to get bitten by sharks, the increase is a sign of a healthy habitat.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration manages fisheries and conservation in U.S. waters and monitors shark populations. Spokesperson Lauren Gaches said it’s difficult to track shark numbers from year to year but there’s been an overall increase thanks to NOAA’s efforts.

“The populations of many shark species that commonly occur in New York waters, including sandbar, dusky, blacktip, and white sharks, have been increasing in recent years,” Gaches said. Prey populations, such as Atlantic menhaden, are also recovering in New York waters. These baitfish attract lots of predators including whales, dolphins, seabirds, and also sharks.”

And while the occasional bite may scare the bejeezus out of swimmers and surfers, more sharks is a positive sign for the health of the ocean, overall.

“As time continues, and that's a really good thing — we want to have sharks in our environment. They help keep everything balanced, which is exactly what we want,” O’Connell said.

Looking ahead…

Going into this summer, O’Connell said it’s hard to know what will happen, but he’s hopeful the increased public awareness last year’s encounters garnered in New York will lead to a safer summer.

“There's a lot of people conducting research now in New York, there is a shark surveillance program where they do have drones, they do have planes, they're looking for these sharks, and they are sounding the alarm when they see sharks, so people get out of the water — they're aware of it now,” O’Connell said. “And I'm hoping that that awareness will actually keep people safe.”

How New York City and State are protecting beachgoers

Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an enhanced shark monitoring program for the summer at Long Island State Park beaches, including Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Parks. The multi-agency effort involves increased surveillance using drones, watercrafts, and helicopters. The effort built on last year’s efforts launched in response to the series of shark bites.

At city beaches, both lifeguards and beachgoers report shark sightings. The city’s parks department decides to close beaches due to shark sightings with help from the NYPD Aerial team, which helps to confirm if sharks are still in the vicinity.

“If appropriate, the lifeguards will whistle people in shallower, or in extreme cases, whistle people out of the water; this is usually fairly localized and we make the determination based on a confirmed sighting, the size of the shark, and its proximity to the shoreline,” said Parks Department spokesperson Chris Clark.

Avoiding getting nibbled on

Eliminating risk altogether is impossible, but there are a few things the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recommends beachgoers keep in mind when heading out to the surf:

Do sharks want to eat us?

No 🥺

“If you respect these animals, you give them their space, you stay relaxed, these animals are just going to maybe check you out, or most likely, they're going to swim away from you, they're very timid, ” O’Connell said. “It's important that people recognize that sharks are not menacing man eaters like they're made out in the media — Absolutely not. That's not the case. If they were man eaters, if they were targeting humans, there'd be absolutely no way we can get in the water because we can't outswim a shark."

Editor’s note: This story was corrected to state New York had six confirmed shark bites in 2022, according to the International Shark Attack File

Tagged

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sharks

parks department

Catalina Gonella

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