Shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) are pelagic predators in the open ocean and coastal waters. They are frequently caught in tuna longline fisheries but the impact of fishing is largely unknown. Mako sharks are believed to be highly mobile migrators, but little is known about how they use their habitat. Electronic tags are now shedding light on the horizontal and vertical movement patterns of mako sharks. Satellite tagging in New Zealand has revealed that juvenile mako sharks are much more resident than previously realised, inhabiting coastal waters for periods of several months. There is a general movement to warmer waters north of New Zealand in winter, with larger sharks moving further. Some sharks have travelled as far as Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and French Polynesia. Foraging occurs mostly in coastal waters over the continental shelf, and sharks tend to move rapidly and often in near-straight lines while in the open ocean. Most of their time is spent in the upper 100 m of the water column but deep dives during the day are common, with depths sometimes exceeding 600 m. The relatively small-scale movements of small juvenile mako sharks suggest that management of bycatch needs to be at a regional scale.