Coney Island Beach Closed After Shark Sighting
Beachgoers were shooed out of the water Tuesday morning after shark fins were spotted slicing through the surf at one of the beaches in Coney Island, the Daily News reports.
The Parks Department told the newspaper they closed the beach near Steeplechase Pier “out of an abundance of safety.”
“Because sharks have been sighted in certain areas of Coney Island Beach today, Parks has closed specific stretches of beach and will continue to monitor the situation,” the statement read.
A video posted to Instagram shows a dorsal fin circling in the water along the shore.
Witnesses told NBC New York that at least four shark fins were spotted near the beach and NYPD aviation and harbor units patrolled the area after the sighting.
Jon Dohlin, Vice President and Director of the New York Aquarium, told DNAinfo the fins probably belonged to the harmless basking sharks feeding on small fish, but said it was a good idea for swimmers to leave the water as a precaution.
No word on whether the presence of dorsal fins off Coney Island might be a response to the shark fishing competition last month in Sheepshead Bay. Perhaps the beach visit was intended as warning for Brooklynites to leave the sharks alone?