She is the largest Great White shark tagged so far, and has been named Mananui. Video / Riley Elliott - Shark Scientist
A shark scientist who recently tagged a third great white says his tracking project is helping change “potential fear to fascination”.
Dr Riley Elliott, from Tairua, said he tagged another great white shark on Monday inside the northern end of Matakana Island by the Bowentown entrance.
Mananui, named by the area’s hapū Te Whānau a Tauwhao, was the “largest great white tagged so far” at 3.2m long.
The project is driven by funding and support from the public and is hosted by the Sustainable Ocean Society - a non-profit established by Elliott and a group of his friends.
In a post on social media, he said Mananui was classified as a sub-adult, meaning she was no longer a juvenile but not yet reproductively mature.
At this size, great whites generally fed on seals, he said.
“Her presence was awe-inspiring in size and demeanour. She wears battle scars and scratches but was cautious and calculated.”
Elliott had identified the great white as having resided in the area for the last three summers through photos taken by fishermen.
He reflected on her prestige, saying Mananui was a stronghold Pā site protecting the people of Te Whānau a Tauwhao.
“Like Mananui the Pā, she represents a stronghold presence of prestige and great mana.”
Mananui was tagged by Dr Riley Elliot on Monday. Photo / Supplied
Speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend, Elliott said there was a lot of excitement every time he tagged a great white. However, he said this interaction was particularly special.
“To turn around and see a 3.2m great white in a harbour in North East New Zealand blew my mind,” he said.
It was “quite rare” to see a sub-adult shark in what was understood to be a “nursery environment,” he said.
“I’ve seen 6m sharks at seal colonies - which is where you expect mature sharks. But it is by far the biggest here that I have seen.”
He described the process of tagging as “incredibly difficult and tiring”, spending the past seven days out on the water “in cooking hot weather”.
“Sharks don’t just come up and eat stuff. They are very shy and calculated, and they are just trying to go about their own business. It’s a privilege when they do show up.
“About one per cent of the time when I am on the water, I am seeing a great white shark. The rest of the time is just getting sunburnt or trying not to.”
Mananui is named by Te Whānau a Tauwhao, the hapū of the area where she was tagged in the Bay of Plenty by shark scientist Riley Elliott in January 2023. She is a female Great White shark, 3.2m in length.
He said he would continue work through the summer but wanted the public to understand it was a “long-term project”.
“It’s very unlikely we are going to tag all of these sharks in one summer. What’s cool is this app is catalysing great interest from the public and gathering more information for the value of the species and ourselves.”
This information had helped New Zealanders change their “potential fear to fascination,” he said.
The Great White App shows Mananui last surfaced near the Mercury Islands.
