People swimming at Tauranga and Mount Maunganui's beaches this Easter weekend are urged to be aware of the presence of great white sharks. People swimming in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui's beaches this Easter weekend are urged to be aware of the presence of great white sharks. Photo / Clinton Duffy, DoCThe recent shark sightings in Tauranga does not suggest a change in their behaviour or a sudden population boom, Duffy says. The great white shark population is estimated to have been stable or in slight decline since the early 2000s and the species protected under the Wildlife Act 1953. Other species of shark protected in New Zealand include the basking shark, the oceanic whitetip, the small tooth sand tiger (deepwater nurse shark) and the whale shark.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 02, 2021 01:39 UTC