Shark sighting closes Auckland's Orewa beach, with more set to make presence known this summer

Thursday, 26 December 2019

Curious bronze whaler sharks are likely to have multiple encounters with people this summer and great whites could turn up 'anywhere', a shark expert says.

Boaties, swimmers and spearfishers were likely to have slightly different shark experiences over the holidays, Department of Conservation marine scientist Clinton Duffy said.

The warning comes as Orewa Beach, in north Auckland, was closed for a few hours on Christmas Day after reports of a 2 metre-long shark swimming about 500m off shore.

Lifeguards received multiple reports of the shark from paddleboarders in the area and swimming was also not advised at nearby Hatfields Beach and Red Beach.

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Locals were nervous about swimming at this suburban beach after a bronze whaler shark washed up.

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Surf Lifesaving's chief executive Matt Williams said on Thursday that because the shark was not displaying predatory behaviour, the decision was made to keep some of the beaches open.

Williams said sharks were not the main danger at beaches, with rips, strong currents and ignoring water safety guidelines more likely to cause people problems.

A panoply of shark species will grace waters around New Zealand this summer. (FILE PHOTO)

He said no shark sightings had been reported on Boxing Day morning.

But the shark's presence is unlikely to be the last and marine scientist Duffy warned blue sharks and mako were the type most likely to approach boats around much of New Zealand.

New Zealand's hammerhead sharks are abundant, but tend to be shy.

Great white sharks also approached but were far less common, he said.

Hammerheads were often abundant, especially cruising at or just below the Hauraki Gulf surface and off the North Island west coast, but tended to avoid people.

Spearfishers in coastal reefs and popular Hauraki Gulf spots could face competition from bronze whalers over catches. (FILE PHOTO)

Even when responding to a berley trail, hammerheads often kept their distance from boats, Duffy said.

Spearfishers in coastal reefs and popular Hauraki Gulf spots in Auckland were more likely to encounter bronze whalers than any other species.

Offshore, blue and mako sharks were a more likely sight. Dusky sharks, similar-looking to bronze whalers, were also likely to bump into spearfishers offshore.

Adult great white sharks like this one congregate near fur seal colonies in New Zealand's southern waters in summer. (FILE PHOTO)

Bronze whalers usually avoided or paid no attention to people in the water but would 'compete aggressively with spearfishers for speared fish', Duffy said.

Different shark species prefer diverse habitats such as reefs, shallow coastal waters, and deeper realms offshore. (FILE PHOTO)

These sharks don't have big teeth but could inflict serious injuries.

Duffy said a bronze whaler was probably responsible for a spearfisher's death at Te Kaha in the Bay of Plenty in January 1976.

Globally, great whites, bull sharks and tiger sharks were implicated in most attacks on people.

'Tiger sharks are mainly encountered offshore, off the northeast North Island during summer but also turn up in shallow coastal waters from time to time,' Duffy said.

Great whites could turn up anywhere, Duffy said.

Juveniles were common in some upper North Island waters, and adults gathered near big fur seal colonies in southern waters in summer.

Broadnose sevengills were identified in several incidents involving non-fatal bites to swimmers and surfers around the lower North Island and South Island.

Fisherman Russ Hawkins of Fat Boy Charters in Mount Maunganui, has been logging shark sightings for the past three years and has spotted bronze whalers 177 times.

Hawkins said local bronze whalers seem to have got used to him and now congregated when he filleted fish beside the main channel.

Duffy said similar phenomena happened at Mangonuiin Northland and at Matiatia, Waiheke Island, but there was no need for alarm if sharks grew used to people in this way.

'There is no evidence that they become dependent on humans for food, that it interferes with any critical life-history processes, or that it makes them more likely to bite people,' he said.

Whale sharks, basking sharks, smalltooth sandtiger sharks, great whites, oceanic whitetips, the spinetail devil ray and giant manta ray are all protected under the Wildlife Act.

SHARKSPOTTING: INSHORE SPECIES

Broadnose sevengills (southern North Island, South Island)

Common thresher shark (mainly juveniles around 1-2 m)

Rig/spotted dogfish

School shark

Bronze whaler (especially around the upper North Island)

Smooth hammerhead shark (especially around the upper North Island, mainly juveniles up to 1.5 m)

OFFSHORE

Mako

Porbeagle (central and southern NZ)

Bronze whaler

Blue shark

Smooth hammerhead (adults)