Pirates of the Caribbean actor and former professional surfer Tamayo Perry has been killed in a shark attack off Oahu's North Shore in Hawaii. 

The 49-year-old was surfing near Goat Island when he was killed on Sunday, Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department said in a statement.

Perry played as one of the buccaneers in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. 

Other acting credits included appearances in Blue Crush and Hawaii Five-O. 

He was also a well-known lifeguard and former professional surfer. 

Honolulu Ocean Safety and the city's fire, police and emergency medical services departments responded to Malaekahana Beach just before 1pm on Sunday. 

A caller reported seeing a man who appeared to have suffered shark bites, Mr Enright said.

Lifeguards brought Perry to shore, where he was pronounced dead. Ocean Safety personnel posted shark warnings in the area following the attack. 

Honolulu Ocean Safety acting chief Kurt Lager said Perry was "a lifeguard loved by all".

"Tamayo's personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more," Mr Lager said at a news conference.

"Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected," Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said, calling Perry's death "a tragic loss".

Perry and his wife Emilia operated the Oahu Surfing Experience, offering surfing lessons. 

According to his biography on the business's website, he surfed professionally for more than 15 years, winning the Pipeline Master trials in 1999.

The Pipeline off Oahu's North Shore is famous for creating a tube that surfers ride for as long as they can. 

But it's also the most deadly wave in the world, killing some of the world's best surfers. 

It's not known if Perry was the first professional surfer to be killed in a shark attack, since the definition of a professional in the sport can be blurry, said Brendan Buckley, the editor of Stab Magazine, a website devoted to surfing.

"But in terms of a high-level surfer that people around the world know and respected, he's the first that I'm aware of," Mr Buckley said from his office in Portugal.

Perry "was never like somebody that was going to contend for a world title," Mr Buckley said. 

"He was more of the type to just kind of hunt down big, crazy waves and have that documented.

"For a while, he was one of the top, top, top people out there.

"He got some of the craziest waves of his era. He was insanely respected by obviously everybody there and everybody around the world for what he did."

Perry said on his website that he took to heart lessons learned from a near-fatal accident while surfing Pipeline years ago.

"The lessons I've taken from that event have inspired me to my goal of instilling proper surf etiquette and safety into those whom I teach," he wrote.

Perry began his career as a lifeguard on the North Shore for the City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety in July 2016, Mr Enright said.

The same year Perry appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean, he appeared in an episode of the television series Hawaii Five-0.

He was also in a couple of national commercials.

"When I'm not acting, I'm still quite a character, so there's always a ton of fun to be had," he said.

The last fatal shark incident in Hawaii was December 30 when a man surfing off Maui was attacked about 137 metres from shore.

AP