The curious and distinctive hammerhead shark is a regular summer visitor to New Zealand's North Island waters, where specimens of five metres or more have been reliably reported. The largest recorded rod-and-reel capture is 205.0kg. It is likely that these sharks give birth in NZ waters, as juvenile specimens down to less than half a metre in length are regularly reported in the Hauraki Gulf. Although listed as a big game species, hammerheads are seldom actively pursued by local anglers and, with a swing away from using baits in favour of lure trolling, captures have reduced in recent years, although shark numbers do not appear to have decreased.

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