Great white shark likely behind fin sighting at Whangārei Heads beach

The shark fins spotted at Whangārei Heads over the weekend likely belonged to a great white, according to the Department of Conservation.

Beachgoer Emily Faulkner had been the first to spot the creature while she was lounging on some rocks near Urquharts Bay on Sunday.

It was about 3m from the shore.

She got her camera out to capture the moment, watching before the fin disappeared below the surface.

Senior science adviser for marine species at the Department of Conservation, Karen Middlemiss, said the grainy footage made it difficult to determine the species.

“But given the size of the shark and shape of fins, it was most likely a great white shark. They are commonly seen in this area over summer months.”

Faulkner said not long after she had spotted the shark, a woman on a paddleboard appeared shocked.

She paddled over to a group of people on a nearby boat and told them the shark was bigger than her.

“They drove along really slowly [near the shore], down where she paddleboarded, trying to look for it,” Faulkner said.

Faulkner got back into the water about three hours later.

About 10 minutes after she hopped out, she thought she saw ripples in the water.

“I thought I saw a fin again [but] I think it was just a school of fish,” Faulkner said.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.