Shark Sightings in New York and in Spain Have Swimmers and Officials on High Alert

Imagine swimming around and then stumbling on an eight-foot-long shark. This happened at a beach in Benidorm, Spain. Swimmers caught an eyeful when a disoriented female blue shark got a little too close for comfort.

Coast guards and volunteers from Valencia's Oceanographic Foundation were quickly on the case giving the shark a blood test to determine its health.

Local wildlife officials say when this species comes this close to shore, it's usually because it is sick or injured. But affter examining this shark, they found that she had no visible wounds and her free.

Others who can relate to seeing sharks up close are some New Yorkers. 

Rockaway Beach in Queens was closed for a day because swimmers saw so many sharks in the water. Once it reopened, news helicopters still spotted some lurking in the water. 

On neighboring Long Island, officials say there have been over 20 shark sightings so far this summer. Experts say one reason is the sharks are after the bunker fish that are now swimming closer to shore.

Related Stories