Police have referred a death to the coroner after a body was found on the rocks in the Auckland suburb of Torbay.

Police said the death, initially described as “unexplained”, was now before the coroner.

Officers were called to the North Shore beach after being notified by a member of the public at 3.50pm yesterday.

“An investigation into the circumstances of the death is underway, and at this stage it is being treated as unexplained,” police said.

Police said a scene examination was underway yesterday, but there was no police presence at the site today.

The body had been found near the quiet suburban Gilberd Place, which backs on to cliffs overlooking rocks and the beach.