A shark expert is cautioning swimmers against taking an Easter dip near Bowentown after a spate of young shark sightings in the area.
Juvenile great white sharks have lurking around the Bay of Plenty settlement in recent months, one of which resulted in a fatal attack in January.
Leading shark scientist Riley Elliott says it’s not simply “business as usual” in the area, with many of the young sharks still learning about their surroundings.
“We’re not talking about bronze whalers anymore, we’re talking about great white sharks," he told Breakfast this morning.
"Just like an avalanche risk might go up, people want to know the forecast.”
While it's a positive sign the ecosystem is healthy, he says many of these sharks are less predictable as their diet shifts from fish towards larger mammals like seals.
“I’d say they’re like the 14-year-olds that just got their learner's licence and they’re getting in the car for the first time.”
Kaelah Marlow, 19, was killed while swimming in Waihi in early January.
He’s warning beachgoers to be careful about where they go swimming or surfing this weekend, urging them to stick between areas of the coast monitored by lifeguards.
“Those are the choices you have to make in the wild, sometimes you can’t climb Mt Everest because the weather doesn’t suit.”
Not enough research about shark patterns have been made in this area, he says, as it’s not a common location for this number of sharks.
“That area, inside Tauranga harbour and in Bowentown, clearly something novel is going on.”
Elliott is asking people to be sensible when out in the water and understand the higher risks these sharks pose.
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