The carcass of a great white shark washed up on a beach in New Zealand's Mount Maunganui earlier this week.
The shark was initially spotted by surfer Tao Mouldey, who said he'd had it "pointed out to him" on Wednesday evening.
"It was just lying on the beach at about 6pm," he told SunLive.
"It freaked me out a bit.
"I was a bit hesitant to get back out in the water.
"You hear about sharks a lot more out at Matakana (Island), but not at the main beach."
According to multiple passers-by, the shark was missing its tail and was described as "badly decomposed".
Waikato University researcher and marine ecologist Phil Ross said the missing tail could indicate the shark had been attacked by an orca, but he admitted he could not be "completely certain" without seeing the carcass himself.
"I went down as soon as I could," Ross said.
"I walked up and down the beach to see it for myself, but it seems as though it had washed away.
"It was discovered around the Oceanbeach Road and Marine Parade roundabout. I would have been pretty keen to take a look at it.
"Sharks of this nature are amazing for research.
"We're currently conducting a long-term study on shark populations after an increase in sightings."
The research program is a collaboration between the hapū in Tauranga Harbour, shark experts from the Department of Conservation and other organisations around the country.
"There has been an increase of interactions between people and sharks," Ross said.
"We want to know what is happening with the shark population and whether we are seeing an increase in Tauranga's Harbour or if it is a case of having more people in and around the water."
Ross said his initial assumption is that the shark population has increased off the Bay of Plenty.
"It is very hard to say, and scientists are always very reluctant to draw conclusions too early," he said.
"This research is a long-term project."
He added that despite increased reports of sharks in Tauranga's waters, he would "still feel comfortable" swimming with his family.
"Sharks have always been here," he said.
"It's not a cause for concern, however what we should keep in mind is being sensible about how we go into the ocean.
"We should not mix or swim nearby where people are fishing with burly trails.
"If a shark is following a burly trail with a purpose of finding food at the end of that trail, I would not want to be at the end of the trail.
"It's about having a good separation between fishing and people."
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