Watch: Fishermen reel in an unexpected catch in Bay of Plenty – a shark

A group of fishermen reeled in a two-to-three metre shark on Matakana Island, off Tauranga.

The unexpected catch came at 2pm today.

Onlooker Nina Bly-Pieterson told 1 NEWS NOW, "The group of fishermen were just fishing on the beach when one of the men's fishing rods looked like it was a heavy catch."

She says the fisherman spent around 30 minutes reeling it in.

Once it was ashore, the men spent time trying to get the hook out, attracting more on-lookers, before releasing the shark back into the ocean.