A man's body has been recovered from Waitemata Harbour next to the ferry terminal in downtown Auckland.

Officers aboard the police launch Deodar retrieved the body after it was seen floating near the ferry terminal side of Princes Wharf about 11.30am.

They were trying to locate the man's next of kin and a post-mortem examination would be carried out tomorrow.

An initial assessment had not given police any reason to assume the death was suspicious.

It was not known how the man came to be in the water but it appeared he had not been there for any great length of time.

- APNZ