Teens catch 4-foot long shark in waters off Staten Island

PLEASANT PLAINS, Staten Island -- A teenager says he and his friends caught a 4-foot long shark in the waters off Staten Island on Friday.

18-year-old Anthony DeNicola says they released the shark back into the water. He says he and his friends were fishing in Pleasant Plains on Friday.

They thought they had caught a huge fish...until they reeled it in.

Local fishermen in the area have reported seeing sharks in the water off Staten Island before, but mostly sand sharks.

Jai Dwivedi, an expert in shark behavior at St. John's University says that sharks are everywhere.

"I don't think it's any cause for harm or concern," Dwivedi says

The sightings in the New York Area may be increasing due to warmer waters and over-fishing offshore, forcing sharks closer to land.