Aerial video captures shark snack attack off New York beach
Experts with OCEARCH say these bait fish near the coast could be tied to the recent string of shark sightings in New York and New Jersey this summer
Aerial video: Shark snack attack spotted off Fire Island
Video from above shows a frenzy of sharks teaming up to attack a school of bunker fish off the coast of New York near Fire Island.
ISLIP, N.Y. – A photographer recently spotted five sharks near New York's famous Fire Island beaches using teamwork to attack a school of bunker fish.
Photographer Duncan Weir recorded the feeding frenzy on Monday from above, where clear waters offered a prime view of the lunchtime feeding frenzy. According to Weir, the school of bunker fish was about 200 yards from the Atlantique Beach shore in Islip, New York.
Experts with OCEARCH say these bait fish near the coast could be tied to the recent string of shark attacks and sightings on New York and New Jersey beaches this summer. At least five shark attacks have been reported on Long Island alone this summer.
"The real increase in shark sightings is because of the return of the bunker," OCEARCH expedition Chris Fischer said.
SHARK SUMMER TIMELINE: SHARK ATTACKS, SIGHTINGS IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY PUT BEACHGOERS ON EDGE
A group of five sharks were recently spotted swimming and hunting together off Islip's Atlantique Beach, New York. (Image credit: Duncan Weir)
Bunker, or menhaden, are bait fish and swim in large schools close to the water's surface during the spring, summer and fall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
COULD THIS BE THE REASON FOR THE RECENT SHARK SIGHTINGS?
"The way the sharks hunt menhaden is that they push them up against the beach," Fischer said. "They crowd them against the beach, and then they start to take turns darting through them to feed."
Watch: Sharks circling in shallow waters at Jacksonville beach
A chilling video shows sharks circling in shallow waters at a Jacksonville beach over the weekend.
This behavior can be seen in the video captured by Weir, showing the sharks darting into the school and their tails splashing as they go in for the fatal bite.
Another drone operator recently recorded two great white sharks teaming up off the coast of Long Island to target a large school of fish.
Sharks swim through school of fish off Long Island
Check out this stunning bird’s eye view of two sharks swimming through a large school of fish. A drone operator captured in the Hamptons in eastern Long Island, New York. These appear to be a great white shark. This species of sharks typically passes through the New York area on their way farther north for the summer after spending the winter months in South Florida to the Carolinas.
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