A hammerhead shark was spotted off the coast of Long Island by a drone photographer Monday, just as scorching temperatures and the upcoming Fourth of July holiday are expected to pack the beaches.
WATER MILL, N.Y.— A hammerhead shark was spotted by a drone photographer off the coast of Long Island on Monday.
Joanna L. Steidle, who captured the footage, shared the encounter on X, stating, “I captured the 1st onshore shark sighting off the coast of New York for the season!”
Hammerhead shark spotted off the coast of Long Island Monday
(Joanna L Steidle via Storyful)
The sighting comes at a critical time. An extreme heat dome is locking in over the eastern United States, combining temperatures in the 90s and 100s with high dew points.
With heat indexes expected to push between 100 and 115 degrees, millions of Americans will likely be heading to the coast to cool off.
Hammerhead shark spotted off the coast of Long Island Monday
(Joanna L Steidle via Storyful)
On top of that, with the Fourth of July holiday weekend on the horizon, record crowds of beachgoers will soon be sharing the water with these native predators.
According to the Shark Research Institute, hammerheads typically swim off southern Long Island in the summer, sometimes moving south toward New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
By autumn, they migrate further south through the mid-Atlantic region.
Steidle’s footage gives us a stunning aerial view of the predator and its iconic-shaped head as it glides just off the coast.
Hammerhead shark spotted off the coast of Long Island Monday
(Joanna L Steidle via Storyful)
Because of this seasonal migration, beachgoers flocking to Long Island beaches to escape the heat or celebrate the holiday should keep an eye out.
While hammerhead sharks are not typically dangerous to humans, an unexpected encounter would certainly put a damper on any holiday celebrations.
