A shark was stranded at low tide near the bottom of Aldersgate Reserve in Hillsborough, Auckland.

A large shark has been left stranded on a central Auckland beach.

A Hillsborough woman, who did not want to be named, said she woke up on Wednesday morning, looked out her window towards Aldersgate Reserve and saw a fin in the water near the shore of the Manukau Harbour.

She said she had earlier seen what she thought were fisherman releasing it from a net, but once it was released it didn't swim away.

JASON DORDAY/FAIRFAX NZ The nearly 2 metre long shark did not swim away before the tide went out.

She said as the tide receded the shark became stranded and could be seen thrashing around in the shallows.

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Another local resident, Donna Lofthouse, said she saw a family trying to pull the shark out of their fishing net by its tail to let it swim to deeper water.

JASON DORDAY/FAIRFAX NZ The shark was caught in a fishing net.

However, the nearly 2 metre long shark did not swim away before the tide went out.

By 10.30am the shark was no longer moving.

Department of Conservation marine advisor Clinton Duffy confirmed the shark was a Bronze Whaler.

JASON DORDAY/FAIRFAX NZ Local residents saw people trying to free the shark from the net and drag it to deeper water.

Marine scientist and 'shark man' Riley Elliot said it was likely that the shark either died in the net or as it lay on the sand without water.

Elliot also said nets are a major shark killer.

"Gill nets are an extremely poor method of fishing, unfortunately they're very popular.

"It's a method much like trawling, with heaps of bycatch.

"They catch and kill everything."