iStockphoto / Kittisak Songprakob
Beachgoers at Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York City were treated to an incredibly rare sight on Monday afternoon when a rare thresher shark washed up on the beach with its whip-like tail flailing wildly as it fought to get back into the water.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, several beachgoers hopped into action and pushed the shark back into the water before it was too late and the beautiful thresher shark was able to swim freely back into the Atlantic Ocean where these sharks can grow up to 20 feet long thanks to their uniquely long tails.
The video was shared by ABC News across Threads and YouTube Shorts and it cuts off right before the camera drops and they push the shark back out into the ocean. But imagine for a second, you’re someone who hit Rockaway Beach for the day and saw this… We’re talking about this happening roughly 19 miles from Manhattan and I can tell you out of all the years I lived in Manhattan and would go out to Rockaway Beach I never once saw anything like this:
A sub-species of the thresher shark family, the bigeye thresher, is classified as endangered in most of the Atlantic Ocean. But common Atlantic thresher sharks show up around this part of the Northern Atlantic this time of year, in late Summer, as this is their breeding season. They can also live for nearly 30 years which is an incredible amount of time to survive in the wild.
Speaking from the perspective of my fishing background, I’ve never caught one myself but have heard some wild stories about thresher sharks being captured and the havoc their tails can wreak on boats. Their long, whip-like tails are crucial to their survival as it plays vital roles in hunting and swimming.
These sharks can use their iconic tails to ‘whip’ smaller fish and stun them during moments of predation. Threshers have been documented using their tails to ‘herd’ and ‘stun’ multiple fish at a time. Their tail whip reaches speeds of up to 80 MPH which can send a shockwave that will knockout baitfish. I like to think there are a lot of similarities between this particular shark species and the hunting tactics of marlin/sailfish with how they utilize their extremities to maximize their meals.
Post by @abcnews
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Zoe Berger took the video above and she later told Fox 5 New York that two men and a woman jumped into the water to rescue this thresher shark and usher it back out to see after it was seen struggling on the beach.
For more news on threshers, I suggest checking out this entry from the Florida Museum on these fascinating sharks.