Watch: Kāwhia Harbour great white shark with rope around its tail sparks DoC rescue effort

• The Department of Conservation is searching for a great white shark with a rope around its tail in Kāwhia Harbour.
• The three-metre juvenile shark was spotted on Wednesday morning; efforts to find it were unsuccessful.
• The department advised people not to attempt to remove the rope themselves.

The Department of Conservation is searching for a great white shark seen in Waikato with a rope around its tail.

The three-metre shark was spotted in Kāwhia Harbour, on Waikato’s western coast, on Wednesday morning.

The Department of Conservation (DoC) said its first efforts to find the shark were unsuccessful.

“However, our disentanglement team is on standby and is working with local staff who are ready to respond to any further sightings.”

Anyone who saw the shark in the water was advised to call the sighting to 0800 DOC HOT (362 468) and include co-ordinates if possible.

DoC said people should not attempt to remove the rope themselves.

The Department of Conservation is looking for a great white shark with rope around its tail spotted in Kāwhia Harbour, Waikato. Photo / Department of Conservation

Auckland Museum curator of marine biology Clinton Duffy told the Herald it was common to see great white sharks around the upper North Island at this time of year.

“Harbours hold large stingrays, eagle rays, sharks, smaller fish ... all things young white sharks feed on,” Duffy said.

“They’re in the harbours feeding, basically.”

The shark’s three-metre length suggested it was a juvenile.

Duffy said his own tracking in Kaipara Harbour suggested the sharks could live in the waters for up to a month, and would travel in and out of harbours regularly.

“When they’re in the harbour, they’re vulnerable to things like set nets.”

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Duffy said anyone who caught a shark should release it immediately and report the sighting to DoC.

It comes after a live mako shark washed up at Christchurch’s Sumner Beach last night, prompting a callout about 8.35pm, police said.

DoC Mahaanui operations manager Andy Thompson confirmed DoC officers were “called about a shark stranded on Sumner Beach about 9pm” on Thursday.

“Mako sharks are not a protected species so DoC does not manage their population and is not mandated to respond to incidents like this,” he said.

“The stranding is a sad but natural event.”

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