A 12-year-old surfer encountered a shark near the shoreline at Omanu Beach yesterday. The boy remained calm and guided his younger brother away from the potential danger. The shark, estimated to be over 2 meters long, was seen around 2.20pm between Oceanbeach Rd and Marine Parade in Tauranga.
The boy’s mother, Jane Trask, said that her son didn’t tell his younger brother about the shark until they were safely out of the water. Despite the encounter, the boys were back in the surf just an hour later.
Jane estimated the size of the shark by comparing it to her boys’ surfboard. She also recorded a video of the shark on her phone, capturing her sons’ excitement.
Later, around 5.30pm, another local saw the shark and followed it for about 2km. Martin Stewart, who also estimated the shark to be about 2m long, followed it back towards Omanu where he saw children boogie boarding. The children were quickly called out of the water by their parents.
Shark scientist Dr. Riley Elliott said it’s not uncommon to see sharks so close to the shoreline, especially as the weather is still quite warm. He believes the shark was likely a bronze whaler, which is mostly harmless to people unless they are fishing or disposing of fish. These types of sharks are commonly found in the Mount Maunganui and Papamoa areas.
