Shark monitoring drones given out to Long Island beach communities by Gov. Hochul

Gov. Kathy Hochul began distributing some of a total of 60 drones to Long Island and New York City at Jones Beach on Friday, part of an effort to increase shark monitoring on beaches after five swimmers were bitten on the South Shore over July Fourth weekend.

State officials added about 18 more drones to the 42 announced by Hochul last week, and Long Island could potentially get a larger share of these additional drones because more sightings and encounters have occurred here. New York City’s beaches will get 21 drones and some will go to parts of Westchester County to monitor Long Island Sound.

The state is investing $1 million in drones to be purchased by the state parks department and to be distributed to beach communities, including Long Beach and the towns of Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Islip and Southampton.

Hochul began distributing the drones Friday at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center on what was officially known as Shark Awareness Day. She noted that New York’s waters went from one shark encounter in 2012, to a record eight shark bites last year off Long Island and five bites so far this year.

“Given the lessons of last summer and seeing the change in sharks behavior, we knew early on before the season even started, we had to take preemptive steps and get the awareness out there and during the weekend to keep beachgoers safe,” Hochul said.

The $1 million in state funding also includes training and certification for lifeguards and drone operators. The funding is on top of $145,000 allocated earlier this year to give Long Island State Parks a total of 18 drones to monitor Jones Beach, Robert Moses State Park and Hither Hills State Park in Montauk.

Suffolk County also purchased two drones for $94,000 to patrol beaches at Smith Point County Park in Shirley and at Cupsogue Beach in Westhampton Beach.

Hochul and experts have noted sharks were coming closer to shore due to cleaner, pristine waters drawing larger schools of bait or bunker fish nearby.

“As a result of that, more of the food chain, the sea creatures that are consumed by sharks, are moving in closer, therefore the sharks are following their dinner really close to the shore,” Hochul said.

State police and drone operators are able to canvas the water to monitor large schools of fish, birds diving for fish in the water and the shape of potential predators beneath the surface of the water.

Lifeguards also are using paddleboards and watercraft like Jet Skis to patrol the waters and evacuate swimmers if there is a shark sighting. No shark bites have been reported since July 4, when three people were bitten off Fire Island and Quogue. Two others suffered shark bites July 3 off Fire Island and Robert Moses.

There are 13 different types of sharks that migrate off New York’s Atlantic coast, said State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid. He said the drone footage gave lifeguards a better vantage point than from their lifeguard stands.

“Over the last two seasons, we have learned that drones are really the most effective way to detect shark activity and other potentially dangerous marine life,” Kulleseid said. “They've always been there and we have to share the ocean with them.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.