Christchurch beach cleared over shark

A shark sighting at a Christchurch beach forced lifesavers to clear the water this week.

Surf Life Saving Canterbury life-saving manager Dougal Holmes said South Brighton Beach was cleared after the shark was spotted near Waimairi Beach, 11km north-east of the city, on Tuesday afternoon, The Press reported.

"They said it was about seven metres long, so that's a very big shark - probably a basking shark," he said.

Basking sharks can grow up to 10m, but are filter feeders and generally harmless.

Mr Holmes said there had been "a huge amount" of people at the beach because the weather was hot.

He said the beach clearance was a precautionary measure, as shark attacks were rare.

- NZPA