What You Need To Know About The Great White Shark Headed Toward Long Island!

Great White Sharks: The Graceful Giant Behind Hollywood's Bloodthirsty Predator THE NEPTUNE ISLANDS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA - JUNE 2014: A great white shark swims just below the surface of the sea, taken at The Neptune Islands, South Australia, June 2014. THE infamous great white shark has been stigmatised as a bloodthirsty killer for decades but many enthusiasts are trying to finally rid of this misconception. As the largest predatory fish on Earth, great white sharks can grow to an average of 15 ft in length, though individuals exceeding 20 ft have been recorded. With abilities to detect one drop of blood in 100 litres, its clear to see why film directors have used this enormous fish as a vicious predator in Hollywood blockbusters. Wildlife and nature photographer, Brad Leue, was undeterred by the great whites false reputation, and jumped at the chance to dive with them off The Neptune Islands, South Australia. PHOTOGRAPH BY Brad Leue / Barcroft Images London-T:+44 207 033 1031 E:hello@barcroftmedia.com - New York-T:+1 212 796 2458 E:hello@barcroftusa.com - New Delhi-T:+91 11 4053 2429 E:hello@barcroftindia.com www.barcroftimages.com (Photo credit should read Brad Leue / Barcroft Media via Getty Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images) (Barcroft Media/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

By MJ

Shark sightings shut down some Long Island beaches to swimmers on one of the hottest days of the summer this week.

Now there is a great white shark headed toward Long Island from New Jersey on Tuesday.

Residents have been wondering if it’s safe to go in the water.

Chris Fischer, founder of the not-for-profit Ocearch research organization, said a Montauk shark “nursery” has seen a “steady increase” in its population of white sharks.

Female sharks tend to head to Montauk in the late spring and early summer to drop off their pups and then depart; right now, there are a “bunch of baby shark pups” on the South Shore that are about a month old, “under the menhaden, chasing squid and mackerel around,” Fischer told Patch.

Ocearch, like other not-for-profits, have been dealt a heavy blow due to the coronavirus and are short a few hundred thousand dollars for the year, Fischer said. Despite the challenges, teams will head to Massachusetts and later, Nova Scotia this year. "This work is so important to the public and to the future balance of the ocean," he said. "We are going to grind it out. We will find a way."

To donate to Ocearch, click here.