WELLINGTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Holidaymakers in New Zealand have been warned of more shark sightings this summer.
It was reported on Friday that a large number of bronze whaler sharks were spotted cruising close to unsuspecting swimmers at a Coromandel beach in New Zealand's North Island in recent weeks.
Dozens of shark sightings have been reported near New Zealand beaches this summer, with species including bronze whaler sharks and tiger sharks, when swimmers have to evacuate.
On Wednesday, Surf Life Saving New Zealand reported 42 first-hand shark sightings across the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty over the last two weeks.
Most sharks in New Zealand are less than a meter and a half long and therefore relatively harmless, Department of Conservation marine biologist Clinton Duffy said, adding that larger sharks are "potentially dangerous."
The seas around New Zealand are highly productive owing to a unique combination of ocean currents and deep-water canyons that create upwelling of nutrient rich waters. This results in an abundance of marine biodiversity, including sharks such as the blue and porbeagle, according to Shark Spy, a citizen science project. ■
