Lifeguards kept busy by shark sighting, kayakers' rescue

Bay of Plenty surf lifeguards were kept busy on Thursday, rescuing 27 kayakers in Whangamatā and clearing the water for a shark swimming between the flags in Tauranga.

The kayakers were being swept out to sea by strong offshore winds, which had been catching people off guard in recent days, Surf Lifesaving New Zealand Eastern region manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said.

From about 2pm on Thursday, Whangamatā lifeguards spent three hours rescuing the group of kayakers trying to battle the wind to get back to safety, he said.

"We're getting really strong offshore breezes in the afternoon, and it's catching a lot of people in kayaks and inflatable toys... they're getting blown out to sea, and lifeguards are having to go and pick those people up and bring them back to shore."

Further north there was another potential danger in the water — a suspected bronze whaler shark.

Gibbons-Campbell said lifeguards noticed the near metre-long shark at Omanu Beach about 3.45pm.

It was unlikely the shark would have harmed anyone, but it was important to give it space, he said.

"Pretty standard, just a bit of a marine [animal] came through the surf and the lifeguards obviously got everybody out of the water as the shark swam by, but they let it cruise on, and people were back in the water pretty quickly after that."

Sharks enjoyed shallow, warmer water, so it was not unusual to see them so close to shore, Gibbons-Campbell said.

"That's their home at the end of the day, that's where they are, and we just need to give them some space when we do see them.

"Chances are if you've spotted them, they're not usually hunting you... they don't usually go for us as the food type, they're usually looking for other types of food."

rnz.co.nz