Sharks Making Our Waters Their Summer Cottage

Shark week on Discovery just passed. It’s not as exciting to me as it used to be. I think it’s become a little exploitative of the species. Have you seen “Roach Week” or “Rat Week” on TV? I doubt it. Of course, I realize sharks are more exciting to the general public than “Carpenter Ant Week,” which got very low ratings a couple of years ago.
Let’s face it. Sharks are a big draw and truthfully, it’s the only reason I’m writing this article. Scientists claim sharks existed before the dinosaurs, which makes them the most successful predator on our planet. That alone makes them deserve our respect. That’s something to keep in mind when swimming.

Many shark species visit our waters from New Jersey to Cape Cod. They do more than visit. They use these waters as a summer home for almost 6 months a year. Over the last 20 years, the schools of bunker, herring, and mackerel have increased and so have the number of sharks pursuing them. In addition, global warming has brought our waters off Long Island and nearby coasts to higher and higher temperatures, enticing sharks and other species from more southern areas up into our waters. It should be noted that the increase in shark sightings has been accelerated by the abilities of drones to spot them from the air, which often shows them sharing the same space swimmers enjoy with rarely any incident.
My own experience began with fishing for them at the Mud Hole, Cholera, Angler Banks, and other locations; however, it wasn’t until I became aware of the negative impact fishing was having on the species that I realized the importance of conservation. The last time I went shark fishing was in 1996. I studied them, wrote articles about them and drew pictures of them and found out, for the most part, they just want to live their lives undisturbed, like most of us. So, now let’s take some time to identify the sharks that surround Long Island, New Jersey, and all their watery environments.

WHALE SHARKS – This is the largest fish in our oceans, which can grow to over 60 ft. in length. The are filter feeders that exist on krill, which are minute organisms, they consume by their giant mouthfuls. They are related to the basking shark, which also visits here. They swim slowly and are harmless, but if you encounter one and if you don’t know it’s just a harmless giant, you’ll be buying new, unstained swim trunks for sure.

SAND TIGERS – Up to 11 ft. in length with a full set of threatening teeth. They are all around us. They tend to be a brownish color and are as timid of you as you are of them. A large one came right up to me while swimming at Gilgo Beach years ago. I saw his eyes and teeth, then he swirled away and sounded. I got out of the water and just kept it to myself. That was 45 years ago. Brown sharks are related and also inhabit our coasts and bays. They are also called sand tigers. They can be aggressive, but until a recent incident with a swimmer this summer, which was no more than a superficial wound, I cannot find any other records concerning threatening interactions with humans. It could have even been a bluefish. I saw one take a fisherman’s thumb off once in the 1970s when gorillas abounded.

BLACK TIPS – These are recent arrivals to our area. They range about 6.5 ft. long and the tips of their fins are black. They are fast and acrobatic as they pursue their meals of smaller fish. Though there have been a few incidents down south, there haven’t been any up in our waters. So far, we haven’t seen the vast quantities of them that exist down along our southern coast and Flo-rad-dah in particular.

THRESHERS -These are sharks with a long tail that is as large as half the size of their body. They use it to whip and stun bait fish for an easy, no-effort meal. I have seen them in Fire Island Inlet by the Sore Thumb and they have been seen in Zacks Bay. Sportfishermen seek them because they claim they Bar-B-Que nicely. Frankly, I prefer All-American Hamburgers and a chocolate shake. Threshers grow to over 20ft. long, weigh up to 1,100 lbs. and have small teeth. They are not considered a threat to humans unless you get smacked into outer space by their tail.

MAKOS – There a two major types of mako sharks, the short fin and the long fin. For the sake of clarity, let me explain. The short fin mako has short fins and the large fin mako has large fins. You got that? Now we can continue. The short fin is very fast, reaching 45 mph and is known for its stunning acrobatic jumps. The long fin is much slower. Both of them have a general mature size of 14 ft. plus and a weight of 1,300 lbs. They generally stay in deep water, though I saw one large one in the surf at Kismet tearing a giant sunfish apart. Another was beached in Freeport’s Long Creek last year and saved by some brave bystanders. They are aggressive, but there aren’t any recorded incidents in our area.

BLUES – These sharks stay mainly offshore and are rarely seen near our beaches. They have no food value, but the color of their skin is the most incredible blue you will ever see on any living creature. Though they have a full set of choppers, they are not considered a threat. They tend to be proportionally longer and thinner than other sharks.

BULLS – The bull shark has a varied history in this area. It is a suspect in the many shark attacks in the summer of 1916, when five swimmers were attacked and five killed in New Jersey, one of which took place 1.5 miles upriver in Matawan Creek in fresh water. Since bull sharks are comfortable in salt and fresh water, that makes them the ideal suspect. They are also the aggressor in many attacks along our southern states. They have squarish snouts and a full jaw of teeth. They grow to 13.5 ft. and 500 lbs. in weight. They are coastal sharks and have become more prevalent in our coastal areas due to the warming of our waters. Some surf fishermen have been successfully targeting them at night by chumming them up. They generally release them and are in it for the excitement. Recently, this practice has begun to be discouraged as it draws them closer to the beaches where they may remain during the day. Bull sharks have become more prevalent in our waters in recent years due to fake global warming.

HAMMERHEADS – Hammerhead sharks are found in our area during the summer months. They can easily be identified by the shape of their head, which is distinctly different from the wrench head shark. They are a protected species. There are several types, and they can grow to 20 ft. in length. A week before I wrote this article, there was a large one attacking a very large sting ray or manta off the beach that drew quite a crowd. They are not considered a threat to swimmers and are considered, up to now, to be occasional visitors to our coasts, but global warming may change that.
(For clarity’s sake, I DO NOT BELIEVE IN GLOBAL WARMING! However, the weather this spring and summer forces me to admit to the possibility of “Global Hottening.”)

SPINY AND SMOOTH DOGFISH – Both of these related sharks are small and harmless to humans. They don’t have exterior teeth and tend to enjoy mollusks. They grow between four and five ft. and tend to inhabit shallower waters. They can come in large quantities so as to interfere with my fluke fishing. Their mouths are small and it is best to remove the hooks as gently as possible with a pair of pliers and return them to the wild. When you enjoy fish and chips, there is a good chance you are actually eating dogfish fillets.

DUSKY AND TIGER SHARKS -These two large sharks only occasionally visit our area and have rarely been seen. No worries here!
AND NOW FOR THE ONE YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!! The huge, scary, meanest, people chomping, boat sinking, legend making……

GREAT WHITE SHARK – What can I say about the great white that Quint hasn’t already said? “Four barrels, four barrels! He’s taking down four barrels!” Quint in “Jaws” was styled after the famous “Monster Hunter” Captain Frank Mundus. I met him a few times and I feel to this day that his story was hijacked from him. He certainly felt that way. He was the first to find and fish for great whites and holds all the records. He did so on his salty boat, “The Cricket,” RIP Captain Mundus. They’ll never be another like him.
These days, much more is known about great whites in our area. Are they dangerous? Bet on it. Are they huge? They can weigh up to 3,427 lbs., as caught by Mundus on rod and reel. He still holds that record.
There are some reported to be over 20 ft. in length. They are very aggressive. Encounters near the shores are rare in the USA, but it’s quite a different story in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
My encounters with them have been way offshore. One event was at the Bacardi with my cousin Dave and friend Peter. We were chunking for tuna. Nothing! After eight hours, Dave turns the engine and literally from under the boat comes a real monster. We high-tailed it out of there. Recently, a great white named Cabot has been seen patrolling off Greenwich, CT, in the Long Island Sound and he’s visited there before because he has a locator on his fin.
Ocean scientists have recently added the entire New York Bight out to Cape Cod as a major pupping area for great whites. The giant females arrive, give birth, and leave so that most of the great white sharks in this area tend to be juveniles with a few big ones thrown in for fun along our coasts.
So that leads us to……
ARE THESE SHARKS EVER IN THE GREAT SOUTH BAY AND LONG ISLAND SOUND???

Answer – You bet they are. Some occasionally, some more often. Let’s just say it’s a very “Fluid” situation. Will it stop me from enjoying a nice dip in refreshing water? Of course not. Do you think I’m a coward? Besides, I have a nice bathtub, some nifty little boats, one rubber toy shark and four bottles of bubble soap.