Shark In Long Island Waters May Have Been Caught And Released

LIDO BEACH, NY — The shark that has been prowling Nassau County waters and causing beaches to close to swimming may have been caught and released by a local fisherman earlier this week.

For three days straight, shark sightings prompted closures at beaches along Nassau's South Shore, including in the Town of Hempstead and Long Beach. Jones Beach was also closed on Tuesday. There were nine sightings total.

The shark is possibly an 8-foot bull shark that was caught by a fisherman over the weekend. Bull sharks are aggressive and can swim in very shallow waters.

The county is asking swimmers to not go in water deeper than their ankles.

"Nassau County is sweeping the coastline every morning with aerial and marine vessels before giving the OK to go ahead and go swimming," said County Executive Laura Curran. "This is going to be standard protocol going forward until we're confident that this shark or any other sharks have left the area."

Pictures have started circulating online of a recent catch by 21-year-old fisherman T.J. Minutillo, of Manhasset. Minutillo caught an 8-foot bull shark at Lido Beach Saturday night. The shark, estimated at around 400 pounds, was hooked by Minutillo as he stood in the surf of the beach.

"It was just a freak thing that we hooked a bull shark and not a sandbar or sand tiger that are normally in this area," he said. "For us to catch a very rare fish like that is something special to me."

Minutillo said it took him and his friends two and a half hours to reel the shark in. When they did, they took pictures and released it back into the water.

According to Curran, experts have confirmed that the shark Minutillo caught was a bull shark, but they cannot confirm if it is the same shark that's been sighted in the water the last few days. It is also not known if the shark sightings have been the same shark or multiple sharks.

Because of the sightings, the Nassau County Police Department is stepping up both aerial and marine patrols of the coast. The Town of Hempstead announced that it will start a new "Shark Patrol," comprised of bay constables in boats teamed up with a lifeguard on a Jet Ski to survey the waters for sharks. Hempstead lifeguards have spotted sharks several times this week.

“Our trained lifeguards are crucial in allowing us to quickly identify sharks in the water and alert
the public of imminent danger,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. “By creating a dedicated ‘shark patrol,’ we are providing our lifeguard team with an immediate advantage as they monitor the waters and work to keep beachgoers safe.”