Photographer snaps large shark swimming along Pukehina shores

A real estate photographer got more than he bargained for when his drone spotted a "really big" shark near the shores of Pukehina Beach in the Bay of Plenty.

Ruan Visser from Boundless Vision was photographing a Pukehina property yesterday about 9am when his drone spotted something big loitering behind the waves.

He flew his drone out further to find a "massive" shark swimming sideways across the shore, his partner and business co-owner Sarieta told the Bay of Plenty Times.

A shark was spotted near the shores of Pukehina on Wednesday morning. Photo / Boundless Media

She said he had been in "complete shock" and continued filming the shark on its journey.

"It's never happened before."

Her husband had shown a number of people the footage who were all amazed by the size of the shark, she said.

A shark was spotted near the shores of Pukehina on Wednesday morning. Photo / Boundless Media

But this shark was not the first to be spotted in local waters as the weather warms up.

Last week Waihi's Holly Manukonga hooked a baby great white shark while out fishing with her boyfriend Josh Lonergan at Bowentown's Cave Bay.

"I just did the usual, threw some bait out and we hooked a white," Lonergan said.

He estimated the shark was 70 to 80kg."

Holly Manukonga caught a baby great white shark in Waihi. Photo / Supplied

"She's allergic to fish so it's pretty funny - she had never caught a fish before. She was pretty sore after reeling it in."

After reeling in the baby great white they unhooked it and released it back into the ocean.

Clinton Duffy from the Department of Conservation said according to satellite imagery the sea surface temperatures off northern New Zealand was warmer this year as a result of La Nina weather phenomenon.

"However, it is common for sharks, particularly adult females, to move into productive shallow coastal waters at this time of the year anyway."

He said this was a result of the shallows receiving more light and warming quicker and in spring biological production kicks off earlier than it does in deep offshore waters.

"Several species of sharks move inshore to give birth in these shallow productive areas so their pups have the best chance of survival. Other species move inshore at the same time to feed on abundant fishes.

"This is an annual phenomenon. The timing of the inshore-offshore movements of sharks is probably influenced by both temperature and light levels.

"It should also be remembered that there is always likely to be some sharks inshore regardless of the time of year."