Long Island Beach Reopens After Shark Scare

BABYLON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island beach is back in business Thursday a day after it was closed over a shark sighting.

Swimmers were kept out of the ocean for about an hour at three Town of Babylon beaches after the shark was spotted about 80-yards offshore by lifeguards at Overlook Beach on Wednesday.

"The guys in the tower happened to see a fin and after watching for a minute they pretty much had a good view at it with the binoculars so we determined to get everybody out of the water," assistant chief lifeguard Terry Manning told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera. "The tail fin was clearly out of the water and it was going at a nice, slow pace heading southeast away from us, so that was a good thing for us."

He estimates the shark was six to seven-feet-long.

People were allowed back in the water once the shark swam away.

Beachgoers are now being cautious.

"I'm definitely not going in, especially now," one woman told WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs. "I don't usually go in unless it's really really hot, but now that you told me this I don't think so."

Terry from Lindenhurst says she's being "a little extra vigilant today" and is keeping her children close to shore.

The sighting comes a little more than a week after four fishermen captured video of a great white shark snacking on a whale carcass 45-miles off Jones Beach.