Thisiswhat 'Dr. Beach' thinks about Connecticut beaches
Jul. 26—When it comes to Connecticut beaches, Leatherman believes there are better options in the Northeast — particularly in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
"The Connecticut shore is bounded by Long Island Sound, not the Atlantic Ocean," Leatherman said in an email. "Therefore, this state is not known for beaches."
According to experts from UConn's Connecticut Sea Grant Program and Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), no waters on the Connecticut border are considered "open ocean," meaning that the water does not directly open up to Atlantic Ocean.
Stonington, the only coastal Connecticut town not on Long Island Sound, is located on the shores of Fishers Island Sound, not the Atlantic.
In his 2023 rankings, only two beaches in the northeast made the top ten list: Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York (no. 3) and Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, Massachusetts (no. 10).
According to Leatherman, Cape Cod beaches are facing what he calls a "seal over-population problem," which is bringing more sharks to the beaches.
Some beaches in Cape Cod closed this week after lifeguards reported sightings of great white sharks. In a new study from the Scientific American, Cape Cod has become one of the largest seasonal gatherings of great whites in the world.
Includes prior reporting by Amy Coval.
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