NEW YORK — August 11, 2014 — Where to spot sharks in New York City:
Gregory Skomal is used to studying sharks as Massachusetts’ senior marine fisheries biologist, and he hunted the cold-blooded creatures on the first season of NBC Sports Network’s “Shark Hunters.” But on Monday, the tables are turned: As part of “Jaws Strikes Back,” airing at 9 p.m. during Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which kicks off Sunday, his team sent an underwater drone on the trail of great whites — and it becomes the one who is hunted. “The sharks actually turn on the drone and attack it,” he says. “It’s the first deep-water footage of an attack of a shark on anything.” But you don’t need a drone, or even a boat, to spot the beasts right here in New York. This is Skomal’s Shark Week New York.
Queens-bound N train, Union Square station
“[Riders spotted] a dead smooth dogfish on the subway [in 2013]. It’s a sand shark — they’re harmless animals. They’re near-shore sharks and have tiny little teeth that can’t hurt you. They’re like molars — really dull molars. They use them for crushing crabs and stuff. Somebody caught this while they were targeting bluefish or bass or flounder and decided to have fun with it.”
Uihlein’s Marina and Boat Rental, 444 W. Lake Drive, Montauk, LI
“Shark fishing for fun originated in Montauk in the ’60s and ’70s. New York is probably home to the pioneers of shark fishing. It was driven by a guy named Frank Mundus, who was the original character that [‘Jaws’ author Peter] Benchley built his character Quint around. He was a seasoned veteran in going out and fishing for sharks. His boat the Cricket II [stored at the marina] was world-famous.”
Read the full article at the New York Post