A great white shark has washed up on Omaha beach in Auckland on Thursday.
Photos posted to Facebook by former New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft show the dead shark laying on the beach with its mouth wide open. According to the social media post the shark is a young female.
The Department of Conservation operations manager Rebecca Rush says the shark's cause of death is yet to be determined.
"The Department of Conservation (DOC) received a report of a great white shark washed up on Omaha Beach this morning [Thursday]," she said.
"DOC alongside iwi responded. A necropsy will be completed to determine the cause of death. At this stage, we have not yet received the results."
Great white sharks are protected under the Wildlife Act 1953. It is illegal to hunt, kill or otherwise harm them. Report details of sightings, captures or strandings to DOC sharks@doc.govt.nz or to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
It's not the first time a shark has washed ashore in Auckland. A great white shark washed up on Orewa beach in 2020.
According to locals, the shark was caught in a net before it became stranded on the shoreline. Onlookers tried to help the shark but it later died.
