By Mary Fonua in Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Three Great White Sharks – each over 4 meters long – have visited Tongatapu waters very recently, dropping their transmitting tags and surprising scientists who say that it is the first time they have known these creatures to come here.
“All three sharks may still be in Tongan waters or they may have left,” said Clinton Duffy, a scientist with the Aquatic & Threats Unit in New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, who confirmed that three tags have popped up in Tongan waters in the last two months.
The 4m long male and two 4.5m females were among six great whites that were tagged off the Chatham Islands in April by his collegue Dr Malcolm Francis from the NZ National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd.