Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Lingering shark closes Ōhope Beach, Whakatāne Surf Life Saving Club

Leah Tebbutt
Leah Tebbutt
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
29 Dec, 2020 02:01 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Auckland's most deadly beaches.

A lingering shark has closed Ōhope beach to swimmers just a day after a pod of orca whales gave tourists a show.

Whakatāne Surf Lifesaving Club captain Michelle Cossey confirmed the regional lifeguards had made the decision to take down the flags after the shark had been swimming in between the flags all morning.

"It's against advice to go into the water but we don't own the beach so we cannot stop people from going in right now.

"The flags are down and that's showing the public we're not recommending swimming plus the shark sign is up so they can see the reason why.

"By all accounts, people are following that advice," Cossey said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Regional lifeguards are those paid by Surf Life Saving New Zealand. It was not the volunteer guards that made the decision, Cossey said.

Sharks were seen in the shallow water for generally two reasons; to have fun in the waves or search for small fish to feed, Cossey believed.

As the onshore wind was doing nothing for the swell, the club captain assumed it was looking for a midday treat.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Pod of orca whales are often seen of the Ōhope coastline. Photo / File
Pod of orca whales are often seen of the Ōhope coastline. Photo / File

It was the first time in her 14 years with the club she could recall seeing the shark sign on the beach.

"I can't stress enough that it's their home, it's not our home.

"We do say that by no means be menacing towards them. Don't harass them. If you're going to get close, that's to your own disregard for safety."

Ōhope was spoilt with sea life this week with a pod of orcas causing a fuss for onlookers on Monday night.

Discover more

Natzke unbeaten at Whakatāne Summercross

28 Dec 07:29 PM

Iwi loses appeal to stop water bottling plant expansion

18 Dec 12:52 AM

The whales came every November with their calves, Cossey said, but on Monday a large "healthy" pod made their way along the coastline to Ōhiwa Harbour entrance.

"A lot of people were following them down and they were quite close into the shore so they were well seen by a number of people.

"People just need to be sensible and be responsible and leave them alone."

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Eye-catching: 2500 glass eyes in need of a new home

12 Sep 01:05 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Dragon slayers: Two-tonne public art sculpture forced off street corner

11 Sep 08:53 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Three arrested after BoP firearm incident

11 Sep 08:53 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Eye-catching: 2500 glass eyes in need of a new home
Bay of Plenty Times

Eye-catching: 2500 glass eyes in need of a new home

It sounds like a riddle – but it really isn’t. The answer is a basement in Te Puke.

12 Sep 01:05 AM
Dragon slayers: Two-tonne public art sculpture forced off street corner
Bay of Plenty Times

Dragon slayers: Two-tonne public art sculpture forced off street corner

11 Sep 08:53 PM
Three arrested after BoP firearm incident
Bay of Plenty Times

Three arrested after BoP firearm incident

11 Sep 08:53 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP