'We found Daisy's tag!!!!” is the announcement on shark scientist Riley Elliott's Facebook page.

The shark tag that was attached to Great White Shark Daisy dropped off in late May and Riley immediately started a tag hunt with the help of satellite technology and locals spreading the word.

The last recorded location for Daisy was from the last signal from where the tag came off which Riley says was 'just along the southern shore of Matakana Island, before the tag – with no Daisy – drifted in the wind down the coast and washed ashore in Paps”.

On Monday, May 29, Riley asked the public via social media to keep an eye out for the tag along Pāpāmoa Beach.

Riley Elliott has used satellite technology to track the missing shark tag to Gate Pa after it came ashore at Pāpāmoa. Image: Riley Elliott.

Once the satellite came overhead that night he was able to get a more accurate location, tracking the tag to Gate Pa and making the assumption that someone had picked it up from the beach and taken it home.

He offered a reward of $100 to anyone finding and returning the tag and the word went out far and wide including via a story on SunLive.

Riley Elliott has used satellite technology to track the missing shark tag to Gate Pa after it came ashore at Pāpāmoa. Image: Riley Elliott.

'Thank you to everyone who put the word out, shared the posts, searched the beaches, told your relatives, amazing work,” says Riley.

'Long story short, I got a phone call a day ago from a lovely lady called Leanne in Gate Pa, who said her flat mate David found it while walking his dog Thor along the beach.”

Riley says David and Thor search for rubbish every day along the beaches, to keep New Zealand clean, and stumbled across 'this weird device”.

A shark tag. Photo: Supplied.

'He brought it home, shared the intrigue with Leanne, but the next day they had a hospital appointment and were away for a few days.

'Understandably they were out of the loop for a time - the days you were all sharing the questions where Daisy's tag was - and so when they got home, they turned on their phones and holy cow, saw the messages everywhere on social media, the news, the paper etc etc thanks to all of you!”

David phoned Riley to give him the good news.

'The following day I visited them, who were huge shark fans, both grew up in the JAWS era, but both however love what sharks stand for and do in the oceans, and they were so stoked to have brought Daisy's tag back to the Great White Project.”

The tag that was on Great White Shark Daisy dropped off and floated ashore in Pāpāmoa where someone picked it up and took it back to Gate Pa. Photo: Supplied.

Riley says the next step is to find Daisy.

'And continue to learn about her and other Great Whites sharks starting to share the waves with us in NE NZ.

'Thank you so so much for all of your support. This project wouldn't have even got off the ground without the amazing NZ public, so thank you, and to all the media and news agencies for helping share the information.”

To learn more about The Great White Shark project go to www.sustainableoceansociety.co.nz

Click here to help sponsor a shark or make donations towards the project.