Fishermen Spot 6-Foot Thresher Shark Splashing Around In Bay

WANTAGH, N.Y. (AP) — A pair of Long Island fishermen were shocked to see a fish splashing around in their shallow bay was a 6-foot-long thresher shark.

Pat Crowley and Matt Wunderlich were in their boat Sunday near Zach's Bay in Wantagh when they spotted the thresher shark whipping back and forth. Wunderlich tells Newsday that the shark swam close enough to nudge their boat — spooking Crowley's dog, Dude.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says thresher sharks are named for their long, scythe-like tails — which they use to stun fish. NOAA shark researcher Tobey Curtis says it's very uncommon to see thresher sharks in bays.

Crowley says they decided to record a video of the shark, thinking that no one would have believed their big fish story otherwise.

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Information from: Newsday, http://www.newsday.com