A man has been attacked by a shark at Matauri Bay.

Police received reports of a man being bitten by a shark at the bay — 30 km north of Kerikeri — about 11.20am yesterday. He was transported to Bay of Islands Hospital.

A St John spokeswoman confirmed they attended an event at the Northland beach around the same time but would not confirm it was a shark attack.

Northland Rescue Helicopter were initially called but was turned around half way.

The Northern Advocate understands it was a mako shark and the victim suffered injuries to his arm and leg. It is believed the attack happened near the Cavalli Islands.

The attack is the second shark attack in Northland in the space of two months.

In October Whangārei surfer Andrew Brough was attacked by a great white shark at Baylys Beach, near Dargaville.

He was catching a wave when the shark attacked him and thrashed around with his surfboard and arm in its mouth.

Brough quickly paddled ashore and raced to Baylys for help. His 4mm-thick wetsuit's compression held his lower arm, torn to the bone, in one piece.

Surgeons removed three shark teeth from the wound, and a larger tooth was embedded in the surfboard — 40 stitches were required.

Shark expert and Department of Conservation marine expert Clinton Duffy said after the previous attack that sharks are always out there but to put it in to perspective there had been 15 fatal attacks in New Zealand since records began in the 1850s.

He said earlier the great white is not as fast, furious and fearless as the mako or the tiger shark, the latter not usually found near New Zealand.