New Zealand is known as a wildlife haven. It’s home to species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, including the kākāpō, the Fiordland penguin, and the kiwi. The country’s waters attract orcas, sperm whales, Hector's dolphins, Māui dolphins, and New Zealand sea lions, as well as over 60 shark species – but does this include great white sharks?
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Are there great white sharks in New Zealand waters?
Not only can white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as great whites or white pointers, be found in New Zealand but these are special waters for them.
“New Zealand is a global hotspot for this species,” says Te Papa Atawhai (New Zealand Department of Conservation, DOC) on its website. “They have been protected in our waters since April 2007.” Other great white hotspots include Australia, South Africa, California, and Cape Cod.
How many sharks are there around New Zealand?
According to a 2018 study, there are between 280 and 650 adult white sharks in the waters of east Australia and New Zealand. The total population including juveniles is estimated at around 2,500 to 6,750 individuals.
Where can you find sharks around New Zealand?
Scientists are still trying to learn more about the behaviour of these sharks and where they travel. “Satellite tagging of New Zealand white sharks has shown that juveniles and adults migrate seasonally, from March to September, between aggregation sites at Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands to the tropical and subtropical Pacific,” says the DOC.
“These sharks appear to spend at least 5-7 months north of New Zealand,” they add. They travel to tropical waters including those surrounding Fiji, Tonga, Australia, New Caledonia and Vanuatu “before returning, often to the exact place where they were tagged.”
Researchers don’t think the sharks are coming to Stewart Island to mate. “Nearly all of the females are immature,” says NIWA on its website. “This indicates that the white shark aggregations at Stewart Island are not related to mating.”
A more likely reason for their visit is that the predators are attracted by the island’s large colonies of fur seals.
What do the great whites in New Zealand eat?
However, that’s not all they eat. According to the DOC, there is evidence of these sharks eating fishes, other sharks, rays, penguins, dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, New Zealand sea lions, southern elephant seals, and leopard seals. Some have been found with whale blubber in their stomachs which may have been scavenged from the carcass of a dead whale.
Although more research is needed into white shark populations in New Zealand, some are concerned that they might be affected by fishing and bycatch. “Because of their low reproductive and growth rates, there is concern that fishing mortality may be causing a population decline,” says NIWA.
Are great whites protected in New Zealand?
Great white sharks are fully protected here. “It is illegal to hunt, kill or harm white sharks within New Zealand’s Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone,” they say. This area stretches 200 nautical miles from the country’s coast. Anyone caught breaking these rules could be fined $250,000 and face up to two years in prison.
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