NY launches shark patrols as sightings increase

Shark sightings are on the rise along the New York shoreline resulting in at least three people being bitten in the past month. Patrol boats and drones have combined with vigilant lifeguards on the beaches to alert swimmers of any possible shark sightings.

Cleaner oceans, warmer water temperatures and a resurgence of bunker fish that sharks feed on are seen as factors.  A carcass of a great white shark was removed from a Long Island beach earlier in the month by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The cause of death is unknown, but test results could reveal more information. People often mistake dolphins for sharks because they see a dorsal fin on the surface. Experts say the increase in numbers of sharks is a sign that conservation efforts have succeeded in helping restore ecological balance to the oceans.