A great white shark named Jekyll isn’t hiding from beachgoers on Long Island.
The 400-pound beast swam near the beaches of the Hamptons this week before heading further out to sea, according to shark tracking data monitored by researchers.
The juvenile 9-foot-long fish, first tracked in December off the Georgia coast, has been trawling near Long Island at least since last Friday, according to the shark-tracking organization OCEARCH.
The group said Monday night that Jekyll’s recent movements marked the first time its researchers have tracked the shark near New York.
OCEARCH tweeted that it is “excited to see where he spends his summer.”
On Sunday, Jekyll was tracked near the village of Quogue in Southampton.
Despite great whites’ notoriety, generated in part by the 1975 “Jaws” movie, they do not typically attack people on purpose. Their extremely rare human bites are believed to be accidents.
A study from California State University, Long Beach, released this month identified two spots in California where surfers virtually always ride waves near great whites.
There has not been a deadly shark attack in New York in decades.
Great whites are prodigious swimmers, capable of traveling 100 to 150 miles a day.
The apex predator’s persistent presence in New England waters has become a menace to Cape Cod beachgoers in recent years, though they have appeared to be less present at New York beaches.
Still, Long Island has been gearing for another Summer of Sharks after a historic wave of sightings and bites last summer: Blue sharks, spinner sharks, sandbar sharks, hammerheads and more swim near the New York shore, drawn into shallow waters by enormous schools of baitfish.
Cleaner waters are driving the surge in sharks, according to experts. Officials have urged swimmers to stay near lifeguards and avoid murky and fish-filled waters this summer.
“This year we are taking further action to protect beachgoers by increasing surveillance to monitor for shark activity,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement last month. “I encourage all New Yorkers to listen to local authorities, follow guidance and take precautions.”