Teenage surfer bitten by shark off Fire Island, Suffolk County officials say

WEST ISLIP, N.Y. -- A teenager is recovering after being bitten by a shark on Long Island on Wednesday.

It was all calm at Kismet Beach on Fire Island at dusk, but hours earlier, police say a 16-year-old surfer was bitten by a shark just before 6 p.m.

It happened about 20 yards off the coast, and police say he was able to walk out of the water on his own. He was taken to a hospital in West Islip to be treated for a 4-inch laceration on his foot. He is expected to be OK.

No lifeguards were on duty at the time of the attack.

The teen is at least the fifth person on Long Island bitten by a shark this summer, but sharks don't prey on people.

Experts say those who get bitten are likely just in the way of what sharks do prey on.

"These people are probably just in or near the food source, and these sharks are very used to bumping into large things trying to get their food," said Greg Metzger, of the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center.

Kismet is about 40 miles from Quogue, where, Wednesday morning, residents found a dead juvenile great white shark on the beach.

READ MORE: Dead juvenile great white shark washes up on beach in Quogue

More than 300 white sharks live between Manhattan and Montauk, and experts are reiterating that all these shark sightings this summer is a good sign that marine conservation efforts are working.

Now it's up to us humans to learn how to swim in a more conserved ocean.

"If you see a lot of whales and dolphins, well, the whales and dolphins are there to feed on the same food that the sharks are, so if you're seeing whales and dolphins ... there's a very good chance that underneath them or with them are the sharks," Metzger said.

Experts also say sharks are usually looking for food in the early morning and late evening when the sun isn't as bright, so if you're trying to avoid them, you're better off swimming midday.