A shock encounter on Sunday with what they believe to be a great white shark off Motuotau Island, also known as Rabbit Island, didn't deter spearfishers James McGregor and Daniel Eskrick from deciding to head out into the water once again the following day.

'We went out to Rabbit Island with a couple of mates,” says James.

'I was down on the bottom about seven to nine metres, not too deep. Just looking around for some kingfish and then the next minute I look above me and there's this big great white swimming over the top of me.”

Only a short time before, James had shot a kingfish.

'There was blood in the water so it's probably why the shark came in so close and it was exactly where I had shot the kingfish.”

James says other people had also been out there spearfishing during the afternoon.

'I've seen bronzies and know what they look like and this was definitely not a bronze whaler. It was way too big. It was definitely a great white.”

'He hissed to the rocks, he absolutely flew,” says Daniel, who had been fishing from the boat.

On Friday, the Department of Conservation issued a caution following several confirmed and unconfirmed sightings of great white sharks in the Tauranga harbour recently.

'If you are heading out on the water in Tauranga Harbour over the long weekend, we are advising you to exercise caution and avoid swimming in the main channels, or berleying from kayaks and jet skis when fishing,” says DOC marine technical advisor Clinton Duffy.

Chris Rix, who works at Tauranga's Hunting & Fishing, says there are plenty of sharks around the Bay of Plenty at the moment. As an experienced spearfisher himself, he's not fazed by it.

"Bronze whalers are very common throughout Bay of plenty beaches this time of year, they don't pose much risk to water users,” says Chris.

He thinks it's unlikely there would be a great white shark just off the Mount beach near the island.

Darren Shields, a highly respected spearfishing expert and owner of Wettie spearfishing and wetsuits, one of New Zealand's leading freediving brands, says that often people think they've seen a great white shark but have mistaken it for something else.

'It's unusual for a sighting of a great white shark to be confirmed. In all my years of spearfishing I've never seen one.”

James is planning to get a Go-Pro.

'Might invest in one this week and put it on the spear gun,” says James. 'Head mounts and chest mounts. If it happens again, I want to get some footage of it. I hope it doesn't happen again but if it does it will be good to film.”

As soon as his group reached shore on Sunday, James told one of the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service members about the sighting which has also been reported to the Department of Conservation.

Great white sharks are protected under the Wildlife Act 1953. This means it is illegal to hunt, kill or otherwise harm them. Details of sightings, captures or strandings need to be made to DOC at: sharks@doc.govt.nz or to: 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).