Malibu and Nickerson beaches were reopened Friday after two sharks were spotted near the area earlier in the day.
Lifeguards closed the beach due to the shark sightings near the two beaches around 11:30 a.m. The beaches fully reopened around two hours later.
Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said the two bull sharks, typically seen in South America, were spotted.
Clavin said the recent warmer waters lured the bull sharks and bunker fish toward the shores.
“These are sharks that are very aggressive and actually prefer to come closer to shore,” Clavin says. “That’s why we’re invested in Jet Skis to patrol the area – that’s why we put these additional lifeguards out there – we want residents to be safe.”
Jones Beach was also closed Friday from around 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. when a lifeguard thought they saw sharks.
Experts later identified them to be cobia fish, and the beach reopened