Swimming at three popular Long Island beaches was halted Thursday after two sharks were spotted — the latest in a rash of recent sightings, officials said.
The Jones Beach State Park beaches — Central Mall, the East Bathhouse and West Bathhouse — were closed at 12:15 p.m., a rep for the beach said.
The shark-related swimming ban was lifted an hour later but folks still couldn’t go in the water due to lightning as of 4 p.m. Thursday, the rep said.
The shark scare, which was reported by state police, came after several other sharks were spotted in Long Island waters, including at Tobay Beach and Davis Park Beach, earlier in July.
Swimming at three Long Island beaches was halted Thursday. Dennis A. Clark
Two sharks were spotted on Long Island Thursday afternoon. Dennis A. Clark
Shark sightings and attacks have seen a steep increase in recent months. Dennis A. ClarkAt least six people — including lifeguards, surfers and tourists — have also been bitten by sharks in the past three weeks, according to victims and officials.
Chilling footage shot by drone at Jones Beach on July 11 shows a shark hunting a school of fish near the shoreline, though it’s unclear if it was the same predator that shuttered beaches Thursday.
The aerial video, released on Monday, was filmed by a New York State Department of Parks and Recreation lifeguard.
