SOUTHHAMPTON, NY (PIX11) — Officials believe they’ve recovered the body of a great white shark that initially washed up on a Long Island shore on Wednesday morning.
Police responded to beach and located a shark’s body in Quogue Wednesday, but they were unable to secure the body before it washed back into the ocean. Officials in Southhampton called the Department of Environmental Conservation on Thursday about a shark carcass off of Dune Road.
DEC biologists examined the body and believe it’s the same shark that was found on Wednesday, officials said. The shark is about 6.5 feet long and weighs around 250 pounds.
Great white sharks are about 4 feet long at birth and up to 21 feet as adults, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They can grow to weigh up to 4,500 pounds.
It was removed from the beach and secured for a necropsy. DEC biologists completed the necropsy, but they found no obvious signs of mortality.
There’s been a series of shark sightings at New York beaches this summer. A number of sharks also bit people. A 16-year-old surfer was bitten in the water off of Fire Island on Wednesday.
On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul directed the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the State Police to implement heightened patrols. That includes using drones and helicopters to monitor sharks.
“As New Yorkers and visitors alike head to our beautiful Long Island beaches to enjoy the summer, our top priority is their safety,” she said. “We are taking action to expand patrols for sharks and protect beachgoers from potentially dangerous situations. I encourage all New Yorkers to listen to local authorities and take precautions to help ensure safe and responsible beach trips this summer.”
