The health of a sea turtle is being assessed by marine specialists after it washed up at Auckland's Muriwai Beach - something the Department of Conservation (DoC) says is a scarce event.
Beachgoer Brad Harford told Newshub he spotted the turtle while walking along the beach on Tuesday.
The turtle, believed to be an olive ridley sea turtle, is being cared for and its condition will be monitored, DoC biodiversity supervisor Molly Hicks said.
"DoC has responded to a turtle washed ashore at Muriwai Beach this afternoon.
"This is a rare occurrence and DoC will work closely with iwi and external organisations to monitor its condition," Hicks said.
Olive ridley sea turtles nest in very few places, according to WWF - and are more commonly found in the warm waters of the Pacific, Indian and Altanic oceans.