Surfers at a competition in New South Wales were in for a surprise when they found themselves in the company of a large spinner shark.

Spectators saw the shark leaping in and out of the water near Coffs Harbour, close to the surfers and swimmers.

The moment was caught on camera by local resident Steph Bellamy, who said the shark “photobombed” her picture.

Surfers evacuated the sea for 10 minutes before resuming the contest, she said, adding that no one was hurt.

The encounter took place at the annual Coffs Harbour Boardriders Club competition at Macauley’s Beach, 540 km (340 miles) north of Sydney, on Sunday.

Ms Bellamy said she was taking a photo of the competition when she saw a splash.

“The shark actually jumped twice,” Ms Bellamy told the BBC.

“It breached [the surface] once, and it breached again, and that was the shot that I got. It was all in the blink of an eye.

“I could hear people asking ‘What was that?’… I didn’t realise it was a shark until I zoomed in on the picture.”

She added that it was unusual for a shark to swim so close to the coast.