A great white shark has been following boats into shore off Maketu, in the Bay of Plenty, prompting warnings yesterday to divers, swimmers and boaties.
The 5m-plus shark has been seen several times in the past few weeks.
The latest sighting was by a canoeist at the weekend, said Steve Penn, head of the Bay of Plenty/Waikato Marine Recreation and Fishers' Association.
"It turned into a very fast canoe," he said.
Locals dubbed the shark Brutus last summer, when it patrolled the waters near Maketu, 15km northeast of Te Puke, for several weeks.
Mr Penn said Brutus might be following boats because people had been feeding it, or it could be attracted by bait.
The shark had also been seen near Motiti Island and Plate Island, 6km to 8km offshore.
A colony of seals at Plate Island and large kahawai running into the Kaituna River might be attracting the shark.
Swimmers around Maketu are advised to avoid areas with fishing bait in the water and keep out at dusk or dawn, which are feeding times for sharks.
- NZPA
Brutus sparks shark alert
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