Beaches reopen after multiple sharks spotted along Hempstead Town shore, officials say

Multiple sharks were spotted in knee-high water off Malibu and Nickerson beaches Friday morning, prompting lifeguards to temporary close the area for swimming, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said.

At least two sharks, approximately 6 feet in length, were spotted at 11:30 a.m. heading west in an area where there were no swimmers, said town lifeguard Lauren Marquardt, who spotted the predators.

"They were just cruising into the section chasing bait fish," Marquardt said at an afternoon news conference at the beach in Point Lookout. "So we saw the splash and their fins obviously popping out of the water."

All swimmers in the area were pulled from the water, she said.

The beaches reopened at 1:30 p.m. for knee-deep swimming and without any restrictions at 3 p.m., town officials said. 

During Friday's news conference, lifeguards on town Jet Skis patrolled the waters while a town drone flew overhead looking for sharks. Nassau County police and Coast Guard helicopters also were spotted in the area.

The proximity of the sharks in knee-deep waters is a concern, Clavin said.

"We want residents to be safe but we want them to know that everything we can put in place is there," Clavin said. "We want you to come to these beaches. We want you to cool off. But we're going to maintain your safety."

The east and west bathhouse at Jones Beach was also temporarily closed to swimmers Friday morning after lifeguards spotted what was believed to be several sharks, said George Gorman, Long Island regional director of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Footage from a state drone, however, indicated that the fish were actually cobia, whose large pectoral fins are carried horizontally, creating a similar profile of a shark. The beaches reopened at 1 p.m.

Long Island officials have stepped up efforts to spot sharks, following six bites and numerous sightings this summer, including at many South Shore beaches. None of the bites was life-threatening, officials said.

The most recent bite victim was a teen surfer bitten at Kismet Beach on Fire Island on July 20, just hours after a small dead white shark washed up on shore in Quogue.

But while marine scientists concede that shark sightings in the region are up, due in part to climate change, a healthier ecosystem and better tracking of the events, they say the number of attacks from the feared ocean predators remains exceedingly low.

Friday's shark sighting was the first in the Town of Hempstead in about three weeks, Clavin said. Before that, he said, there were at least a dozen sightings.

"They've come back to the region and this weekend we're going to be on high alert," he said. "Everybody knows we're in the middle of a drought. People are looking to beat the heat and they're definitely gonna be hitting the South Shore beaches this weekend."

With Keldy Ortiz

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.