Sharks are everywhere . . . you just need to look

They’re pretty much doing what we would be doing, enjoying the warm water, basking and

cruising. Allan Mundy, Surf Life Saving NZ

The waters around New Zealand are teeming with the apex predators of the ocean — and there’s barely a stretch of coastline where you won’t encounter a species of shark.

There have been many sightings this summer, and tragically a fatality at Waihı¯ Beach when 19-year-old Kaelah Marlow was attacked by a shark, suspected to be a great white.

The Department of Conservation says encounters with large sharks in coastal waters usually happen in spring and summer, when many species move inshore to pup and feed.

With our recent sparkling summer conditions, sharks have been spotted coming closer to shore to revel in the balmy conditions.

Dozens of bronze whalers — measuring about 2.5 metres — and about six hammerheads have been seen in recent days swimming off Matarangi Beach in the Coromandel.

While about 66 shark species have been identified as living in our surrounding seas, fishers and swimmers will regularly come across about a dozen of those species.

Despite their fearful appearance, only a handful, such as the great white, mako and hammerhead, pose a threat to human life.

Many species congregate in the warm waters of the upper North Island, ranging from bronze whalers, blue sharks, makos and school sharks.

Hundreds of swimmers were forced out of the sea twice at the weekend when several sharks were spotted off Pauanui Beach.

Surf Life Saving NZ national search and rescue manager Allan Mundy said the increase in sightings was understandable given the conditions, but not a cause for panic.

“We are seeing more sharks than probably what we would normally

see,” he said.

“But if we have a look at what is actually happening . . . we’ve got clear water at the moment, there hasn’t been a really big swell, so the visibility in the water is really good and we are seeing a lot more people down on the beach, walking and swimming, because of the Covid effect.”

The fact that sharks were being spotted along the coast shouldn’t cause anyone to be alarmed because the predators — mostly bronze whalers and thresher sharks — were simply cruising and not feeding, he said. “They’re pretty much doing what we would be doing, enjoying the warm water, basking and cruising.”