Just when you thought it was safe to take a picture...

A shark attack sent $12,000 worth of camera equipment down to the bottom of the ocean off New Zealand - and now a $5000 reward is being offered to get it back.

Wildlife cinematographer Andy Brandy Casagrande was filming from a shark cage in June when a great white shark tore into the equipment and dislodged it from the camera pole.

Casagrande then wrote to the owner of the equipment, 360Heros chief executive Michael Kintner: "Mike - I unfortunately have very bad news ... I can't believe it - but the worst possible scenario happened yesterday - I only just now built up the courage to tell you," he wrote.

"While shooting with the 360 rig ... I took the rig underwater and after an hour of getting awesome footage, I pushed the envelope too far and an aggressive white shark bit and literally ate the 360 - completely - all six cameras in one bite."

In an interview with the Mercury Press, Casagrande added: "I watched as the first great white shark engulfed the rig. It realised it wasn't a natural prey item and decide to regurgitate it.

"However, directly after the first shark spat it out, a second shark rushed up and engulfed [it] before spitting it out."

Casagrande had been working to capture footage of great whites alongside the 360Heros team for Discovery Channel's Shark Week.

The company is now offering a reward to anyone who can recover the lost camera.

"Thanks to one hungry shark, our gear, SD cards and the historic footage they contain are currently sitting on the ocean floor," its website states.

"360Heros is offering a $5000 reward for the return of this gear following its unintended descent into the water off New Zealand."