As Slight paddles his manner by the clear water, the telltale determine of a cruising shark emerges from the sandy fog.
It casually makes its manner nearer and nearer to Slight earlier than persevering with on its manner.
According to specialists, these interactions “probably occur on daily basis”.
Shark scientist Riley Elliot mentioned more often than not, individuals do not even realise they’re swimming in proximity to the finned predator.
Human sightings of sharks had been solely changing into extra common due to advances in new expertise.
“If you put a drone up at most of our beaches you’d see sharks swimming around swimmers and surfers,” he mentioned.
“Sharks are not man-eaters, sharks do not have any interest in hunting us … but it is still a potentially dangerous animal, and you should show respect.”
Elliot mentioned the bronze whaler swimming by Slight was “about six to seven feet long” and the interplay was “an amazing example of how sharks just do their own thing”.
It did not matter what colored wetsuit you had been sporting, which surfboard you had been on or what you ate for lunch.
The copper-coloured fish appreciated to thoughts their very own business and are not actually fazed by individuals.
They are moderately nosy, nevertheless.
Bronze whalers had been common guests to the white water areas of North Island seashores whereas they “sunbathed” and conserved their power.
Coastal habitats had been typically nursery grounds, however Elliot mentioned it’s nonetheless vital to notice that “at the end of the day we’re in their supermarket”.
“The waves provide a high oxygen environment for them where they can rest throughout the day.”
It would solely swap their behaviour if there was lunch or dinner close by.
So Elliot suggested swimmers not to hang around in spots the place there was fishing occurring.
“When you bring fish into the equation they can become very enthusiastic, unpredictable and potentially dangerous.
“Especially when there may be a couple of shark current as a result of they will flip right into a pack of canine.”
The last fatal shark attack in the Bay of Plenty was in January 2021, when Hamilton woman Kaelah Marlow died at the Bowentown end of Waihī Beach after being mauled in the ocean by a great white shark.
It was the first fatal shark attack in the region since 1976, when a spear fisherman was killed by a bronze whaler shark at Te Kaha – a small beach town near Ōpōtiki, North Island New Zealand.
Elliot and his team are currently investigating an uptake in juvenile great white sharks over the last three summers through their work for ‘The Great White Project’ which began in December.
They are sharing the data on an app where people can follow sharks tracked with satellite tags.
Climate change is having an impact on where sharks pop up, so the situation is always changing.
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If people notice a shark nearby, the best thing to do is return to shore and “take a break”.
Some species may appear less harmful than others, but Elliot cautioned people to think again and exit the water calmly and respectfully for a couple of hours.
“The greatest rule of thumb is simply to maneuver out of the water. It’s their house, it is their atmosphere.”
