Shark sightings cause brief closures of Coromandel beaches

Opoutere Beach has been closed and reopened twice today following a shark sighting. Photo / Google Maps

The sighting of what a beachgoer thought was a great white shark has resulted in the closure of a Coromandel beach.

Opoutere Beach, 19km north of Whangamata, has been closed and reopened twice today following the shark sighting.

Manager at Opoutere Coastal Camping Sarah Kunac said surf lifesavers had made the short trip up from Onemana to patrol the beach after a woman reported that she saw a great white shark in the waves.

She said the woman had said the shark was about 2m long and swimming in the shallows, about two waves in.

"It was lurking about and the woman said she had followed it right down the beach."

There was no proof that the shark was a great white, she said.

Kunac said they saw sharks like bronze whalers "all the time" and they were thought to be harmless.

However, people were "hyper-aware" after the incident where a teenage girl died after being attacked by a shark at Waihī Beach on Thursday evening, she said.

"Some people are mistaking the weeds that often wash up after the rain as sharks."

Kaelah Marlow, 19, died after she was reportedly injured by a shark while swimming at the Bowentown end of Waihī Beach on Thursday.

People pay their respects at the site where Kaelah Marlow died after being injured by a shark at Bowentown Beach. Photo / File

The popular beach was reopened to swimmers this morning.

Opoutere Beach ran along the same coastline as Waihī Beach and was only about an hour apart by car.

Opoutere Beach was closed for a time around midday before reopening then closing again within the hour, Kunac said.

Visibility was good and lifeguards were doing consistent patrols, she said, but the beach was open again now.

Meanwhile, Pauanui Beach was closed this afternoon and swimmers ordered out of the water after a different shark sighting.

Surf Lifesavers ordered everyone - estimated to be nearly 500 people - to stay onshore at 1pm.

A lifeguard said a shark had been spotted by those patrolling the popular Coromandel beach.