Shark Tales with Clinton Duffy
03 March 2026 - 03 March 2026
6:00–7:30 pm
Region(s): Auckland
Type(s): presentations
Join us during Sea Week at Auckland Museum! This is your chance to get up close and personal with all the sharks you can handle. Join Clinton Duffy, Curator of Marine Biology Auckland Museum who is one of the curators behind their smash summer Sharks exhibition, for a special behind the scenes glimpse into its development, including the unique content from Aotearoa New Zealand.
See how sharks have evolved from unique forms such as the Helicoprion (extinct buzzsaw shark), all the way up to modern cinema stars like the Great White Shark, and what these amazing creatures bring to their watery environment.
Great white sharks
Great white sharks have been tracked to these waters, although it is unclear whether the Auckland Islands have their own population of these sharks or whether they just visit the Subantarctic from Stewart Island. Evidence has been seen of scarring on sea lions, suggesting that they’re preyed upon by the great whites.
How would a scientist go about determining the migratory patterns of great white sharks found around the Auckland Islands?
Image acknowledgement: Michael Bogner, licensed from 123RF Ltd
Finally and as an exclusive treat, dive into Auckland Museum's very own collection of shark and ray specimens as they are brought out in front of you.
The evening will be introduced by Tom Trnski, Head of Natural Sciences at Auckland Museum.
Location: Te Mata Tairongo Auditorium, Level 2, Auckland Museum, Auckland Domain, Parnell, Auckland
Find out more and book tickets here: www.aucklandmuseum.com/visit/whats-on/shark-tales.
Related content
Discover more about research that has found that the long lifespans and slow reproduction rates of deep-water sharks and rays mean that these species are as vulnerable to overexploitation as whales once were.
Learn more about the work one teacher did supporting NIWA as part of the Fish-Bol project, an international effort to collect DNA barcodes for all fish species:
Useful link
Read more about the exhibition in this RNZ article: www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/581264/the-safest-way-to-get-up-close-with-sharks.