Great white shark washes up on Long Island beach in New York, police say

Mike Snider, USA TODAY
·3 min read
7

Another day, another shark sighting. This time, a dead great white shark 7 to 8-feet long washed ashore on a beach in Long Island, New York.

Before police could arrive Wednesday morning, the shark washed back out to sea, the Quogue Village Police Department said in a post on its Facebook page.

It's just one of the latest shark sightings this summer. Over the past three weeks there have been at least five shark attacks near the coast of Long Island alone.

In Quogue Village, in Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island's south shore, police "are cautioning swimmers and boaters in the area to be aware of this ongoing situation, and to keep distance to allow the Law Enforcement to monitor this event," the department said in a news release and on Facebook.

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Previously: Long Island suffers a fifth shark attack in the last 2 weeks, including two in one day

The great white, thought to be a juvenile 7 to 8 feet long, washed ashore Wednesday in Quogue Village in Long Island, N.Y., but washed away before police could secure it.
The great white, thought to be a juvenile 7 to 8 feet long, washed ashore Wednesday in Quogue Village in Long Island, N.Y., but washed away before police could secure it.

An area resident originally reported the shark sighting Wednesday and police responded to the beach between numbers 80 and 90 Dune Road. But the shark washed back out to sea before the police could secure it, the department said.

Police are working with the nearby South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center in Bridgehampton, which has a shark research and education program, to monitor the situation.

While great white sharks are typically 11 feet to 16 feet long, this smaller shark was a "subadult. It's a juvenile," the museum's executive director Frank Quevedo told USA TODAY.

Police in Quogue Village on Long Island's south shore have warned swimmers and boaters in the area to stay aware. Over the past three weeks at least five shark attacks have been reported near the coast of Long Island alone.
Police in Quogue Village on Long Island's south shore have warned swimmers and boaters in the area to stay aware. Over the past three weeks at least five shark attacks have been reported near the coast of Long Island alone.

Quevedo said the surge in shark sightings and activity in Long Island is a result of conservation efforts in the area, including legislation prohibiting the overfishing of menhaden, or bunker fish.

"Because of (that) … we're seeing a resurgence of all marine life. That includes sharks, whales, dolphins, ospreys, seals and bald eagles," he said. "(Menhaden) is the most important fish in the Atlantic Ocean because it feeds everything."

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Swimmers need not be scared of sharks, but they should realize sharks may be more prevalent because there's more fish to feed on, he said.

"Like you cross the road and look both ways, make sure there's no feeding frenzy going on in front of you before you jump in the ocean," Quevedo said. "Or if you see marine activity going on close to shore, stay out of there until the activity dissipates."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has asked state police and the state parks department to increase their monitoring of Long Island beaches with helicopters and drones.

"We are taking action to expand patrols for sharks and protect beachgoers from potentially dangerous situations," she said Monday. "I encourage all New Yorkers to listen to local authorities and take precautions to help ensure safe and responsible beach trips this summer."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Great white shark sighting on beach in Long Island, New York: Police