Over the last decade, there were four reports. Last year, there were eight. Just this week, there have already been five. And they all happened within the span of two days.
Shark attacks - though they strike fear into the general public - are generally considered rare occurrences. The ocean predators aren't usually inclined to attack people with wonton abandon.
There's only a one in three billion chance of being attacked by a shark, according to the World Animal Foundation.
But the number of reported attacks has been increasing in recent years. Over the long 4th of July weekend, drones patrolled the waters over Robert Moses State Park on Long Island, New York.
The devices shockingly spotted a gaggle of around 50 sand sharks off the coast, prompting officials to delay the opening of the park's beaches.
Just days later, the waters were evacuated when a 10-foot (3-metre) shark was seen swimming in the shallows.
"We are now more vigilant than ever," said George Gorman, a State of New York park director in Long Island. "We have drones in the sky that watch over the waters. We have lifeguards on WaveRunners that watch over the waters."
While the injuries from this week's bites haven't been serious, Gorman said he and others are concerned by the rise in attacks.
That's why authorities have upped their drone patrols, sending out the devices for three sweeps of the beaches and their waters every day, said Cary Epstein, a lifeguard supervisor and drone pilot.
He said drones provide an extra set of eyes and a vantage point unavailable to lifeguards.
"When you’re up in an elevated lifeguard station or a lifeguard stand, you can see up and you can see out, but you can’t see straight down," Epstein said.
The drones aren't perfect, however, and they don't always catch everything, he said. Sometimes, sharks can still be present even if they aren't visible to the naked eye.
But what's causing the uptick in sightings and encounters? t might be cleaner water and a healthier ecosystem, experts say.
Small fish flourish in cleaner waters - the very fish sharks feast upon. The more fish are present, the more predators there are likely to be in tow.
Lifeguard Carl Nowicki said beachgoers should be on the lookout for schools of fish and sharks following them.
Across the country and in New York, fear is mounting regarding shark attacks. Some say they no longer go all the way in the water when swimming in the ocean for fear of nibbles by the beasts.
Biologists assuaged some of their fears, however, noting that many of the sharks who make the Long Island coast their home aren't particularly large or ferocious.
Many are sand sharks, not great whites, which typically reside in deeper swaths of the ocean.
Gorman said people are going to continue swimming in the ocean despite the widespread fears, however, as "they have for centuries." But he encouraged them to remember that they are "cohabiting" and that the ocean is the sharks' "house."
