Sharing sea with sharks

Bronze whalers are the most common sharks in shallow Northland waters, and near surf beaches.

Northlanders will be sharing the water with an increasing number of sharks over summer but the chances of an attack are low.

The sharks, mostly bronze whalers or "bronzies", spawn in Northland's warm waters over summer.

The thought that these large creatures with the fearsome reputation are swimming close to shore might surprise some beachgoers.

"There are literally hundreds of sharks out there. They're always there," Ruakaka Surf Club patrol captain Kyle Taylor said.

Surf beaches such as Ruakaka or Waipu were closed two or three times a summer because sharks were spotted nearby, he said.

Bronze whaler sharks were the most common species in Northland waters but, like most sharks, have a reputation they don't deserve, Mr Taylor said.

"They are very docile and we do see them a lot, especially when the water is warm."

Last January the Waipu Cove Surf Lifesaving Junior Surf Inter-club Carnival was put on hold in the afternoon when people were asked to leave the water because of a shark.

Northern Regional lifeguard supervisor Chase Cahalane said the service's policy was for lifeguards to be watchful of sharks seen near the beach but a sighting would not automatically require the water to be cleared of swimmers.

The risk related to each sighting would be assessed on the behaviour of a shark, the size and species.

About five years ago more than usual shark sightings off Ruakaka and Waipu Cove forced the beaches to be closed about 30 times over one summer, Mr Cahalane said.

"We don't have exact regional figures because it's not a statistic that is reported but we do know there have been no attacks recorded," he said.

Local fishing expert Mike Burgin said hammerheads, blue sharks, thresher sharks and the occasional mako as well as "bronzies" showed up in Northland waters but the chances of being attacked were low.

Sharks might be attracted if a swimmer or diver was in close proximity to dead or injured fish or berley in the water, he said.

"You have more chance of being hit by a car or having a heart attack. That said they are creatures that deserve respect and space," Mr Burgin said. "At the end of the day sharks are all apex predators. We are in their domain."

Mr Burgin said anyone who spent time in or on the water had probably been closer to them than they realised.

"Most sharks are not concerned with what we are doing, there's thousands of them around the beaches and estuaries from now until February, in for their annual spawn."