Experts: Be vigilant, but don't fear shark attacks in NJ

Two North Carolina teens are recovering after two separate shark attacks happened only two miles apart within an hour of each other this weekend. The two attacks have left some at the Jersey Shore wondering

News 12 Staff

Jun 16, 2015, 6:58 AM

Updated 3,424 days ago

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Two North Carolina teens are recovering after two separate shark attacks happened only two miles apart within an hour of each other this weekend. The two attacks have left some at the Jersey Shore wondering if it is safe to swim in the ocean.
Cindy Claus, the director of the Jenkinson's Aquarium in Point Pleasant Beach, says the same sharks in North Carolina can also be found swimming along the New Jersey coast. She says there are more than 350 sharks of several species swimming in New Jersey waters. 
"You do need to watch the water," she says. "Be aware of it, respect it."
However, Claus says it is not something to worry too much about. She says most sharks are never seen, and they tend to stay away from people. 
She warns that it is important to swim near the lifeguards because they are there to keep an eye on swimmers and to keep an eye out for sharks.
Experts also say swimmers should avoid the ocean at dawn or dusk, because that is when sharks are out looking for food.
Claus says the two attacks in North Carolina were a rare occurrence and says there may have been bait or a fishing pier nearby.
The teens in North Carolina are both expected to survive their injuries, but both had to have limbs amputated as a result of the attacks.