A perfect day for swimming on Long Island came to a crashing halt Saturday when a shark was spotted at Nickerson Beach — the latest in a record number of encounters with the apex predators.
Lifeguards at the Nassau County park, which is located on the island’s South Shore, spotted the fins about 75 feet from the shore and immediately closed the beach, the town of Hempstead announced on X around 12:30 p.m.
Nearby Malibu and Lido beaches were also closed.
“Our highly skilled lifeguards are on alert and will continue to monitor the waters closely to ensure your safety,” the town said in its post.
The scare was short-lived and beachgoers were allowed to return to the water a few hours later, according to local reports.
The region was swamped with temperatures into the 90s and intense humidity Saturday.
The sighting comes after a 7-foot shark spotted at Lido Beach in July made waves.
Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin announced last month that the town’s Shark Patrol was mobilized given the record number of shark sightings over the past several years.
The patrol has been scoping out the waterways with drones equipped with thermal and infrared vision and responding to sightings on a new fleet of boats, according to a press release.
The increase in shark sightings has also continued at New York City beaches as well as Long Island’s North Shore.
Thirteen shark bites were recorded on Long Island in just the past two years.
