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A team reviewing underwater footage in Fiordland were amazed to find a great white shark eyeballing their camera recently.
DOC staff and researchers from Sea Through Science were carrying out a Baited Remote Underwater Video, ‘BRUV’, survey in Tamatea/Dusky Sound in February to collect data on the abundance and diversity of fish species in the fiords.
The work was designed to get a better understanding of two of Fiordland’s 10 marine reserves and the health of the recreational fishery within Tamatea/Dusky Sound.
DOC senior ranger Richard Kinsey says the surveys allow researchers to compare fish inside and outside the marine reserves and record how fish numbers change over time.
“This information will also be helpful for assessing whether Fiordland’s new fishing regulations benefit fish stocks in the coming years.
“It’s a great opportunity to collect valuable data and to see what species are attracted to the bait.”
The team collected more than 200 hours of footage that will be analysed, and recorded several key species including hāpuku, blue cod, octopus and many shark species.
Sea Through Science researcher Adam Smith, who was contracted to undertake the work, was the first to look at the footage.
“The stereo BRUV uses two GoPro cameras in underwater housings. At the end of the day, we download the footage back on the boat to see what has been attracted.
“While reviewing the videos, I saw a mature male white pointer shark turn up to the BRUV – it was quite a shock! We had been laughing about how cool it would be to see something like that. It’s very rare to get such great footage.”
The curious white shark can be seen heading straight to the BRUV unit and mouthing the bait pot a couple of times before slowly swimming away. Great white sharks are endangered and are protected under the Wildlife Act and the Fisheries Act.
“It’s great to see these majestic creatures in their natural environment and to see how curious they are around the BRUVs,” says Adam. “We’ve only seen a white shark once before during our surveys, at the Kermadec Islands, the other end of New Zealand.
“Over the next few months, the data we collected in Tamatea/Dusky Sound will be really useful in helping to better understand how our marine reserves function and how certain fish species are coping with fishing and other impacts.”
