Nelson Boating Community: Help Us Tag and Name a Great White Shark

The Nelson Boating Community is coming together to sponsor, name and follow a Great White shark through Sustainable Oceans Society’s Great White Project.

We are raising $4,530:

$3,500 for the satellite tag

$800 for the satellite tracking subscription

And to help cover Givealittle fees

The shark is expected to be tagged near Stewart Island between December 2026 and May 2027.

Once tagged, our community can follow its journey through the public Great White tracking website and app. We will also invite the Nelson Boating Community to suggest names and vote on the final name.

The tracking data will support research into Great White habitat, critical areas, fishing risks, and places where sharks and people overlap. It will also help protect important shark areas around Stewart Island.

These are wild animals, so the shark’s sex, size, exact tagging date and frequency of transmissions cannot be guaranteed. The tag only transmits when it breaks the ocean’s surface. Sustainable Oceans Society advises that tags transmit for an average of about eight months, with the longest so far lasting around 16 months.

All funds will go toward the tag, satellite subscription and Givealittle fees. Any money raised above the amount required will go to Sustainable Oceans Society for further shark tagging or related Great White research.

Whether you donate $5, $10, $50, $100 or more, every contribution gets the Nelson Boating Community closer to tagging and naming a Great White shark.