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Three Waitara fishermen have reported seeing a great white shark.
Andrew Sharman, Wilson Montgomery and David Collingwood were 3km off Motunui when the massive shark appeared on Friday morning, the Taranaki Daily News reported. The men estimated the shark was at least 5m long and its grey dorsal fin was sticking more than half a metre out of the water.
During the summer of 2006, a 6m great white, dubbed the "Taranaki Terror", was spotted cruising the coast, forcing the closure of Oakura Beach when seen 300m offshore.
Department of Conservation programme manager Bryan Williams said the shark spotted on Friday was probably the same one. Williams said a large great white had been cruising Taranaki's coastline for a few years.
"The shark we saw in 2006 was a large female and she will be coming back. It is probably part of her feeding beat. It will be moving between there [Motunui] and the Sugar Loaf Islands, because the female seals would have had their pups by now."
Its main feeding area would be around the islands and divers and kayakers should take care.
- NZPA
