August 19, 2021 — If you have been to the beach this summer, odds are you have seen some big schools of bunker (Menhaden) just offshore. While it is not uncommon, this year they seem to be thicker than normal and attract a variety of fish and marine mammals close to shore to feed. A few weeks ago, I was at Davis Park and filmed a few sharks and Cow Nose Rays just off the beach. I have also seen reports of Striped Bass, Tuna, and Humpback Whales as well.
Last Sunday morning, I was watching the Fireislandandbeyond.com Beach and Surf Cams that stream from the top of the Davis Park Casino Bar and Cafe and noticed some big bunker schools close to the beach with occasional big splashes and knew I had to get over there and see what was on them. I got to the beach around Noon but unfortunately, they had moved off the beach and were split into much smaller pods. I tried to take a look with my drone but the mid-day light made it very difficult to see through all the glare.
At this time I figured I missed the opportunity and put the drone away and went for a swim. Around 2:00 p.m. I started noticing the bait move in and create a massive, dark cloud of bunker approach and cover almost the entire beach. As I got my drone ready, the lifeguards were alerted to sharks and quickly cleared the beach of swimmers. In the photos and video above, you can see almost the entire crowded beach standing on the shore to see the bunker and occasional splash of the feeding sharks.