Man films swim with 2.7m shark in Coromandel
Thursday, 12 January 2017
A 2.7-metre bronze whaler shark was hanging around the beach at Pauanui on Monday evening - so Billy Turner decided to go for a swim with it.
'A whole lot of guys have been catching them lately and tagging them, the 18-year-old apprentice builder said.
'This one had been released and it was hanging around the shoreline. I thought I would jump in and film it.'
Turner, who grew up in neighbouring Tairua, said he had been spearfishing since he was young and had played with bronze whalers in the water before but this was the first time he had gone in intentionally to film one.
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'I though being in almost a controlled environment - shallow depth and clear water - I thought I would take the opportunity to go for a swim. I didn't think twice,' Turner said.
The shark had been about 10m offshore about 7.30pm.
After Turner jumped in the water it had cruised back toward the Tairua Harbour channel, at the north end of Pauanui beach.
Turner followed the shark as the water depth increased from 1m to 4m.
'I was just swimming behind him and he headed for the deeper water. He was going quite quick. I did have my fins on but I thought 'I'll go back home now',' Turner said.
Sharks tended to hang around the bar at the entrance to Tairua Harbour at this time of year.
'They just sit there and cruise up and down the beach.'
The advice with bronze whalers was not to provoke them and they would leave humans alone, Turner said.
'I thought 'I won't try to annoy it, I'll just film it doing its thing'.'
About a week ago an group of anglers caused a stir when they were filmed bringing a bronze whaler ashore at Pauanui, removing the hook from its mouth and then dragging it back into the sea, where it swam away.
Niwa fisheries scientist Dr Malcolm Francis said swimming with bronze whalers was not particularly dangerous but something could go wrong and he would not encourage it.
Bronze whalers were the most common sharks in shallow waters in northern New Zealand, and they came in close to shore in summer to give birth and mate.
'It's quite normal for them to be in shallow water at this time of year,' Francis said.
They were feeding mostly on smaller fish, such as pilchards and some bottom fish, such as snapper.
'They aren't here to bite people, and people are much bigger than their normal prey,' he said.
'Generally bronze whalers aren't regarded as dangerous but they are potentially dangerous and in a situation where there are lots of fish, dirty water, waves splashing, they might accidentally or unintentionally bite a person.'
There were reports of some attacks on people. Those were often in provoked situations, for example when a shark went to grab a fish caught by a spear fisherman.
Other sharks that came in close included the harmless small species rig and school sharks. There could also be broadnose sevengill sharks and rarely there might be tiger and great white sharks, which were dangerous.