A series of shark attacks on New York's Long Island has many beachgoers hesitant to wade into the water.
Humans aren't being targeted by the sharks.
There is an abundance of bait fish close to shore and a sand tiger shark nursery just off the Long Island coast.
The sand tiger shark is a fearsome looking shark that can be seen in the ocean. A set of jagged teeth protrude from its jaws as it grows up to 10 feet in length.
The big fish shouldn't be cause for alarm.
The sand tiger is a shark that doesn't want anything to do with humans. Attacks are usually carried out by small juvenile that bite someone while chasing fish.
There are a lot of juvenile sand tiger sharks off the coast of Long Island. A lot of the baitfish are close this year and there's a lot more. Statistics show that sharks don't target people. We would have about 10,000 bites every day if they did.
The sand tiger shark nursery was discovered by scientists with the New York Aquarium. There were five encounters in the past two weeks that didn't result in life threatening injuries.
In the event of an attack, adult sharks are capable of delivering more damage, but they are also more mature and less likely to mistake a human for food.
Don't swim between dusk and dawn, don't go into the water alone, don't wear flashy jewelry, and don't go in if you're mistaken for a fish scale.
If you've done your homework and still come face to face with a shark, the best thing you can do is stay calm. Don't take your eyes off the shark if you square up with it. Move towards the shore and watch the shark.
If the shark attempts to bite you, defend yourself. If you can, punch or kick the shark.
Our fear of sharks is not as high as it could be. According to the International Shark Attack File, the odds of being bitten by a shark are very low. You are more likely to be killed by fireworks.
You are more likely to drown in the ocean than you are to be bitten by a shark. People aren't worried about being drowned.
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