Newborn great white shark found on Ninety Mile Beach a rare find for scientists

June 25, 2019

Weighing just under 8kg, this pup is a scientific breakthrough.

Scientists at Auckland Museum are happy to have their hands on a rare great white shark washed up on Ninety Mile Beach in Northland.

A local fisherman stumbled upon the shark which weighed in at just under 8kg.

At 1 metre long, the shark pup is something scientists have not seen before.

Museum scientists are hoping through dissection the shark's secrets will be revealed.

Great whites are quite rare and these experts may only see one or two they can examine a year.

"We think there are only about 750 adults in the east Australian population," says Clinton Duffy, DOC Marine Scientist.

But the life cycle of the great white shark is still a bit murky, which is why these scientists are excited about the opportunity to study the rare find.

"We would be one of the few museums in the world to have a newborn white shark," says Tom Trnski of Auckland Museum.

Fully grown great white sharks can weigh up to 2000kg and measure up to seven metres long.

There are no immediate plans to put the shark on display. 



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