Shark Sightings Rise, But Attacks Remain Rare
Sharks have been spotted in unusual numbers along the East Coast and the coast of California this summer — and, in a few nonfatal instances, they have bitten people. In June, a swimmer in Monterey Bay, California, survived a great white shark bite after being rescued by surfers. Last week, a surfer on Long Island, New York, became the sixth person bitten by a shark in the area in three weeks. Beaches in Massachusetts, Florida, the San Francisco Bay Area, and even New York City have been shut down temporarily (until the sharks swam away).“During the summer, especially on the East Coast, is when a lot of sharks’ prey species are closer to the coast — hence why you have more sightings,” says Nia Burnett, a marine scientist, graduate student, and…