All beaches in the Rockaways were closed for swimming Tuesday due to a pair of shark sightings in the area.
Sharks were spotted off Rockaway Beach and Lido Beach on Sunday. Lucy Yang has more.
Teddy Tilkin, an expert with the Long Island Aquarium, tells Eyewitness News there are several important factors to surviving a shark encounter. Knowing how to respond could mean the difference between life and death.He said to swim away with as little splashing as possible, so that the shark won't sense that you are injured or distressed.
Shark encounters have been on the rise recently, especially on Long Island, where two lifeguards, two surfers, and a swimmer were bitten in the past three weeks. "In those situations, you have to do whatever you possibly can to get away and to save yourself," Tilkin said.Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino says bait fish, like schools of bunker, are bringing the sharks in due to cleaner water.