New Zealand's great white sharks range the Pacific | Pacific Beat

Marine scientists are trying to unravel the mystery of the animal's life cycle so they can be better protected.

New Zealand's great whites are being tagged by NIWA and Department of Conservation scientists so they can be accurately tracked.

The principal scientist at NIWA, Doctor Malcolm Francis says Australian colleagues located one of them off Bondi beach in February, within three weeks it has returned to New Zealand's Stuart island.

He says that means it has travelled at an average rate of 100 kilometres a day for those three weeks.

Steve Rice asked Malcolm Francis about the purpose of this research.

Presenter: Steve Rice

Speaker: Doctor Malcolm Francis, NIWA