Officials from the New York City Parks Department closed down Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn for a few hours following reports of shark sightings.
On Tuesday morning, hundreds of beachgoers were asked to get out of the beach waters in front of the Luna Park where shark fins were reported just off the shore. According to the witnesses, they think they saw about three of the four small sharks swimming in the waters.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) investigated the waters for sharks from the air. The evacuation notice from the New York City Parks Department was issued out of abundance of caution. After three hours, beachgoers were allowed back in the waters, however, many remained cautious.
"Because sharks have been sighted in certain areas of Coney Island Beach today, Parks has closed specific stretches of beach and will continue to monitor the situation," said Crystal Howard, a spokeswoman for the New York City Parks Department.
New York Aquarium director Jon Dohlin said that several sharks have been spotted in the waters just off the Coney Island Beach, adding that there are approximately 25 shark species in New York. Dohlin added that it is quite "impossible" to identify the shark species through video clips and images alone, however, the ones spotted in Coney Island appear to be basking sharks, which are harmless ones that may not have real teeth.
The sharks' feeding season has something to do with recent sightings. The young ones are more likely to swim closer to the shore in search of food. While deemed harmless, basking sharks can grow up to 20 feet long or more.
"Let's face it, 25 species - every time you go swimming, you're swimming with sharks. But that goes to show how innocuous and harmless they are," said Dohlin, adding that the shark sightings near the shores were likely because of the cleaner waters.
Dohlin raised the "good momentum" in conservation efforts and that people should be grateful for the environmental feat. On Tuesday, shark sightings were also reported in New Jersey's Monmouth Beach. The beach police were able to catch a school of sharks swimming a few yards off the shore.
Even though basking sharks are deemed harmless, shark sightings are still unsettling to beachgoers. According to Oceana, 179 shark attacks happened in the United States between the years 2006 and 2010 wherein three died. In the same period, there was an average 4.2 fatal shark attack that happened around the world every year.
Photo: Nithin Shenoy | Flickr
