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Swarm of bull sharks shut down NYC's Rockaway Beach during 4th of July weekend heatwave
New York Post • • nation
Key Points:
- A swarm of bull sharks forced the closure of Rockaway Beach on Thursday, disappointing swimmers seeking relief from a heat wave with real feel temperatures reaching 105 degrees.
- Lifeguards raised red flags across the entire coast around 11 a.m. after multiple aggressive shark sightings, with groups of sharks spotted hourly since the first fin was seen.
- The Parks Department is monitoring the situation using drones and follows a protocol requiring beach shutdowns for multiple shark sightings, extending closures by one hour for each additional sighting.
- Bull sharks are the same species involved in a previous attack at Beach 59th Street in August 2023, though other shark species like threshers or great whites may also be responsible.
- The beach closure follows a recent sighting of a massive 9-foot shark at Point Lookout, about 15 miles east of the Rockaways.
