The nearly 1,600-kilogram great white shark caught near Raglan on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island on Wednesday had a whole bull seal in her stomach.
Conservation Department marine scientist Clinton Duffy said the seal weighed 80-90 kilograms and was found in the 4.6-metre juvenile female shark, accidentally caught in a fishing net. The seal had been eaten in two pieces.
The shark, which weighed in at 1,584 kilograms, was buried at a farm near Te Mata, 10km south of Raglan. A section of spine was taken to determine its age and samples and organs collected for research.
Great whites are commonly found between Taranaki and North Cape from October to March, but Mr Duffy said the risk to swimmers was low.
"They certainly seem to be able to distinguish scuba divers from normal prey ... and generally leave them alone."
Mr Duffy, who has studied great whites since 1991 and dissected 12, said Wednesday's catch was the biggest by far.
"We are very grateful for getting the chance to examine her.
"It's very significant. There aren't many sharks this size caught because they are basically accidental catches."
Once dead, the sharks were so heavy fishermen usually removed their heads and discarded the carcass. The closest similar-sized specimen was a 4.4-metre mature male, weighing 853 kilograms, caught near the Chatham Islands a fortnight ago.
"It's always a shame an animal like this is killed, but it was an accident ... I don't expect to get the chance to dissect a great white shark this size again," Mr Duffy said.
The shark could have grown to more than seven metres at maturity.
Commercial fishermen are not permitted to hunt great whites, classed as globally vulnerable by the World Conservation Union.
NZPA