An Auckland man has been left bloodied and suffering minor injuries after a shark bit his arm at Papamoa Beach in the Bay of Plenty.
The attack - by what the man described as a baby shark - comes as the Department of Conservation (DoC) is calling for caution at nearby Tauranga Harbour this long weekend after several possible great white shark sightings.
"It gave me a fright, thankfully it didn't latch on, and by the time I came to the surface it was gone," the man told Stuff following the incident on Wednesday evening. "I rubbed the water out of my eyes once I breached the surface and as I did I felt like a big rush of water, I assume from its tail, whip past me."
"I got to shore and saw a guy about to head into the water. I stopped him and explained what had happened. We both then ushered the other nine or so people out of the water – a couple of kids too."