Though East Coast shark attacks conjure images of great whites (pictured), in this case a different species was the culprit. Photo: Unsplash
New York is not typically thought of as a hot-spot for shark activity. And yet, the swimmer’s greatest nightmare does in fact sometimes rear its toothed head in the waters off of the Empire State. That’s exactly what happened June 25 at Jones Beach on Long Island in New York, when a swimmer was bitten by a shark – the species of which has now been identified by experts.
As the New York Times reports, the bite occurred around 4:15 p.m. in the water at the Central Mall beachfront of Jones Beach State Park. An unidentified woman was in waist deep water when she was bitten on her left foot and leg by “unknown marine wildlife,” according to a statement by the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Jones Beach State Lifeguards and Emergency Medical staff then came to the scene and transported her to Nassau County University Medical Center Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In the following days, New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officials consulted with marine experts to arrive at a best guess at which species was likely to have caused the injury.
“DEC biologists reviewed situational information provided by subjects at the scene, as well as photos of the injury, and were able to rule out several species,” New York State Park officials said. “However, without direct observation of the animal that caused the bites, a full expert consensus was not reached. DEC concludes this incident most likely involved a juvenile sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus).”
