Caught on camera! Water spout spotted off Bay of Plenty coast

A water spout was spotted off the coast of Whakatāne this morning.

Kylie Kinghazel captured the amazing footage of the spout after seeing it on her way to drop her children off at the bus stop for school.

"We were coming down the hill and I just looked out over the lookout and saw it as I was driving.

"It was just sitting there on the horizon. We were buzzing out... my kids were extremely excited. They are heading off to school now to tell all their friends about the tornado they've seen."

The water spout seen off the coast of Whakatāne this morning. Photo / Supplied

Kinghazel said the spout lasted for about five minutes and at one stage started to disappear then returned.

The footage shows the water spout between Moutohora/Whale Island and Whakaari/White Island.

Kinghazel said the weather in Whakatāne this morning was calm and muggy.

In August 2018 a water spout came ashore at Ōhope Beach, destroying a building at the Ōhope Beach Top 10 Holiday Park and damaging other homes.