Shark sightings: Scientist’s warning to swimmers after Tauranga shark sightings

By RNZ

Swimmers should stay out of the water in areas where people are fishing to avoid sharks, a marine scientist says.

The warning comes after Safeswim on Thursday advised people not to swim at Ōmanu Beach, Tay St and Papamoa Beach, both in the Bay of Plenty, after shark sightings.

Safeswim posted red flag warnings on its website at about 3pm, saying swimming was not advised.

A week ago, a near 1m-long suspected bronze whaler was spotted by lifeguards at Ōmanu.

Auckland Museum curator of marine biology Clinton Duffy said bronze whalers were common and usually not aggressive, but people should avoid swimming in areas where people were fishing.

Tay Beach in Mt Maunganui was quickly evacuated after a 2m shark was spotted in the water on Thursday. Photo / Supplied

“They’ll come for either the burley or the bait, it’s either the bait or the struggles of the fish, and that can turn a normally sort of benign species, like a bronze whaler, into quite an aggressive animal.”

People should leave the water quickly and quietly if they spot a shark, he said.

But shark sightings at popular beaches were common at this time of year and are usually no cause for alarm, Duffy said.

“The bronzies are in close to the beaches this time of year, they come in around about October. Pupping continues all through the summer and then they hand around in close inshore to chase flat fishes, sting rays and eagle rays and feed, basically.”

Surf Lifesaving New Zealand Eastern region manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said it was not unusual to see sharks so close to shore at the time of year.

An eyewitness told the Herald on Thursday about 50 people jumped out of the water at Tay St “pretty quickly” after the sighting.

“Lifeguards cleared the beach ... [the] swimming flags were taken down.”

Then the shark came back for a second pass of the beach.

“Just cruised back right through where everyone was swimming about 10-20 metres from shore,” the eyewitness said.

Footage of a 2m shark cruising in the shallows at Ōhope Beach and clearing the busy holiday spot was captured by a drone on December 27 while Safeswim issued a safety warning for Whiritoa Beach on the same advising people not to swim because of shark sightings.

-Additional reporting by NZ Herald