A founding member of New Zealand's Great White Shark Research Project, Kina is a shark researcher unlike any other. He has co-developed a world-leading ID system and has achieved an intimate knowledge of individual Great White Sharks

New Zealand’s most experienced shark cage diving expert, he pioneered the observation of Great Whites in New Zealand. From the first successful cage dive in 1999, he has specialised in facilitating contact with Great Whites - for film productions and research projects. 

His ongoing contribution to the New Zealand Great White Shark Research Project involves filming each shark with a custom pole-cam rig, analysing the footage, and creating an extraordinary database of thousands of images. The visual ID system he co-developed uses patterns of light and dark along each shark’s midline, and means that for the first time, a Great White research project can positively identify individual sharks. 

Nearly twenty years ago, Kina was attacked by a Great White Shark while free-diving professionally off the Chatham Islands. The lack of scientific understanding of the species led him to drive New Zealand’s first research projects to have contact with Great Whites. His curiosity, pragmatic approach, and wealth of experience has led him to become one of New Zealand's most experienced shark researchers.

For links to articles and videos about the shark research Kina is involved with, click here.