“And he made several other very deep dive records between 1000 and 1200 metres while crossing the ocean. Prior to this, we had recorded several at around 1000 metres, so it’s quite a substantial extension.”

New Zealand scientists have tagged 25 great whites around Stewart and Chatham Islands over the past five years.

The tags are designed to stay on for six to nine months before popping off, floating to the surface and setting off a tracking signal.

Once picked up they offer data on the sharks' movements, having recorded location depth and temperature.

Studying Great Whites
Great white sharks are found in waters all around New Zealand. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), and Department of Conservation (DOC) scientists are investigating the long distance movements of great white sharks inside and outside New Zealand’s territorial waters to improve our understanding of their species’s migratory patterns. It will assist with designing management measures to reduce shark bycatch in fisheries.

While great white sharks have been protected in New Zealand waters since 2007, little is known about their habitat requirements, and their interactions with great white sharks elsewhere.

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