Shark Attacks on Long Island

Just when one thought it was safe to go back to the beaches shark attacks are increasing, not just off the east end of Long Island but across the whole country. Last year (2021) there was a 42% increase in confirmed cases of shark attacks according to a Florida site that focuses on such matters. Their experts claim the risk of being killed by a shark is 1 in 3,748,067.

Note that of the six recent attacks on Long Island no one has been killed. Before 2021 shark attack increases there had actually been a decline in sharks biting humans for three consecutive years. Many conclude that was partially due to the covid pandemic reducing the number of people at beaches. However, this year Long Island beaches are the busiest ever.

Amazingly there are approximately 4.5 million “reported” dog bites per year with an average of 16 being fatal. Yet anyone who has ever experienced seeing a shark s dorsal fin roaming in the water understands it’s not the same as seeing a mad pit bull.

Christopher Paparo, manager of the Marine Science Center at Stony Brook Southampton, reportedly said, “It’s very common that the shark attack is not fatal…the reason for that is they’re not trying to eat us.”

Experts on the subject are claiming that extremely successful conservation efforts are perhaps a reason for increased shark biting incidents. They claim the new conservation measures have increased the shark population. The most common sharks on Long Island are sandbar tiger sharks, sandbar sharks and dusky sharks that due to the conservation efforts have increased in numbers.

Other experts are claiming sharks are coming closer to the shore because of warmer temperatures this year along with fisherman discarding fish carcasses closer to the Long Island shores. Whatever the reason the recent Long Island attacks have occurred as close as 10 feet from shore. Now that Long Island beach crews are using sophisticated drones and WaveRunner patrols to search for sharks, beaches are being cleared or closed more often than ever before, much to the chagrin of the daily beachgoers.

The fact that at Smith Point, Fire Island an actual lifeguard was attacked and bitten was frightening because they are the experts at the beach. No doubt this development caught the attention of all east end lifeguards and administrators who now may be erring on the side of caution.

Of course, there are miles of Long Island ocean beaches with no supervision. That’s a worry for some authorities.

It has been reported that the United States and Australia are the most shark infested countries in the world. Over the years, in the U.S. 1441 reported shark attacks have caused 35 deaths. Whereas in Australia 642 attacks have killed 155 people. Considering Australia’s smaller population, just under 26M people to the U.S. population being somewhere around 335M people, that statistic is astounding.

One could not write a story on sharks and not retell an interview one did with Frank Mundus, the famous Montauk shark fisherman on his charter boat, “Cricket II” (after it was fully restored in 2007). It was docked at Star Island Marina in Montauk.

Frank Mundus was over 80 years old then, but when asked about his famous great white shark adventures duplicated in the movie Jaws. Mundus said, “Did you read my book, Fifty Years a Hooker?” He went down inside the Cricket II and came out with a copy, and said, “It’s all in the book, it’s on me, read it.” He retold the story of the 3,427-pound shark that was taken by rod and reel. Then he told about the “the other one,” referring to the giant white of 4,500 pounds that is in Salivar’s bar, that “was caught with a harpoon and barrels just like in Jaws, the movie…but that one,” as he pointed to the replica of the 3,427-pound great white that still to this day hangs at Star Island, “was with a rod and reel.”

All Long Islanders swimming at ocean beaches are advised to be paying attention to all advisories and beach closures due to shark sitings until further notice.