sharks

State and local officials are on a heightened state of vigilance, though experts urge calm

Scientists remain uncertain as to the cause of an uptick in dead whales off the East Coast.

Yes, a lot more people were bit by sharks last year, but they're not out to get us, and their presence is actually good news.

“They’re here, they’ve always been here, but now maybe there’s more of them." — Lt. Sean Reilly, a state police officer with the Department of Environmental Conservation.

“If these people were targets for shark attacks, we’d see people losing limbs and losing their life."

Experts say there are simple ways to reduce your risk of an unwanted shark encounter.

Research has indicated that warming ocean temperatures caused by climate change has pushed more sharks into the northeast waters. But while shark sightings have become more common in the region, unprovoked attacks remain exceedingly rare.

The attack was the third in just over a week, but shark attacks are still exceedingly rare.

“Most of the time they’re harmless. But freak things happen sometimes.”

This week's question comes from a New Yorker who's bummed that sharks are biting kids on Fire Island.