Hunt for ‘real life Jaws’ as five swimmers attacked in just a fortnight

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New York's Governor has vowed to ramp up shark surveillance ahead of the summer season due to a spate of shark attacks in the area in recent weeks.

Since June 30, five separate shark attacks have occurred in the waters surrounding New York and Long Island with two alone last Wednesday (July 13).

And although thankfully none have been fatal, New York's Governor Kathy Hochul has said she is taking no chances and urged state agencies to take all available precautions, reports Reuters.

READ MORE: Divers return to shark-infested Red Sea two weeks after two tourists mauled to death

She said: "We are taking action to expand patrols for sharks and protect beachgoers from potentially dangerous situations."

It's thought the most common species of shark involved in the attacks has been the aggressive tiger shark.

And according to Gavin Naylor of the International Shark Attack File, the area is seeing higher numbers of juvenile sharks in the area due to an uncommon prevalence of Menhaden fish in the area.

As the sharks are still learning, Naylor believes they are more likely to approach humans.

He explained: "Juveniles tend to be less discerning and less experienced.

"The larger ones tend to be further from shore. But the proximal reason is sharks are looking for food and they target Manhaden."

In order to combat the encroachment of sharks, Governor Hochul has extended the powers of lifeguards along the coast.

These new powers include the ability for local authorities to boost lifeguard staffing at beaches by 25 percent.

They can also deploy patrol boats, drones and helicopters to scan the sea for sharks.

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