A popular surf beach in Wellington was briefly closed this afternoon when a shark was spotted in the water.

The shark’s species and size were not known but a Lyall Bay Surf Lifesaving Club member confirmed to the Herald there was one in the waves.

“We had two lifeguards go out on the IRB, they spotted the shark.”

The lifeguards did not want to get too close so could not give any more information about the size and type of shark, she said.

The shark was first seen at about 12.50pm, at which point lifeguards promptly closed the beach.

It had been reopened by 3pm, she said.

The sighting comes a few days after a shark was sighted by holidaymakers travelling to Great Barrier Island.

Deborah Pead told the Weekend Herald she was taking photos of the scenery over the Medlands and Kaitoke beach area as the plane was preparing to land at Claris airport.

“Everyone with window seats started saying ‘shark, shark!’ And so I stopped taking pictures and clear as daylight could see the shark swimming close to the surfers,” she said.

“It was only after we had landed I checked my images and saw the lurking shark in the corner of one of them.”

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