Shark sightings halt swimming off stretch of South Shore, Rockaway Beach

Swimming was halted off a stretch of Long island's South Shore and Rockaway Beach after shark sightings Tuesday, officials said, the latest in a string of incidents in the area involving the predators.

Town of Hempstead lifeguards suspended swimming after two sharks were spotted off East Atlantic Beach Tuesday afternoon, officials said. 

Two lifeguards initially spotted a shark about 12:30 p.m. off the beach and cleared the water, Hempstead aquatic director Justine Anderson said. 

The second shark was seen less than two hours later, Anderson said. 

One of the sharks was seen by lifeguards about 25 yards offshore, breaching the water with a triangular fin. It was estimated to be about 5 to 6 feet long, Anderson said.

No injuries were reported. 

"Residents understand it’s about safety," Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said. "We’re hitting a really hot stretch here and it could be really problematic."

Long Beach lifeguards also confirmed a shark sighting at Maryland Avenue, closing swimming at the city's beaches, city officials said.

Clavin said the sightings closed the waterways from Far Rockaway to Long Beach to swimmers.

The Town of Hempstead reopened its beaches to swimming at 5 p.m. and will reevaluate Wednesday morning, town officials said.  

Meanwhile, just to the west, New York City parks officials closed all beaches on Rockaway Beach due to multiple shark sightings.

"NYPD Aviation is currently doing aerial surveillance, and we will reopen the beach when it is safe to do so," city parks officials said.

Swimming was unaffected at other nearby Long Island beaches Tuesday including Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach and Point Lookout, officials said.

The sightings come after at least four people were bitten in separate attacks in Long Island waters this month. No one has been seriously injured. A shark also was spotted Monday about 25 yards off Lido Beach, Clavin said. 

The town has added lifeguards and they were patrolling the waters with Jet Skis looking for additional shark activity along the town's four miles of shoreline.

The eastern end of Rockaway Beach was closed Sunday for two hours due to shark activity. Lifeguards are trained to identify dorsal fins and recognize the difference between dolphins and sharks, Clavin said.

"The biggest concern is the sharks we’ve seen are sharks that like to come close to the shoreline," Clavin said. "We live on an island and we understand there are sharks in the water everywhere."

Hempstead and New York City are part of a shark communication network with beaches along the Atlantic coast from the Hamptons to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, monitoring for shark activities or other abnormalities in the water. 

Hempstead Councilwoman Missy Miller said she grew up in Atlantic Beach and that the heightened alert and frequency of sharks so close to shore are uncommon.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced additional funding for drones and lifeguards to patrol Long Island beaches after the attacks and other sightings off the Island over the past few weeks.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.