Cue the "Jaws" quotes – a seven-meter-long (22-foot) shark has been reportedly photographed off the coast of Australia.
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) was spotted just 100 meters (328 feet) offshore from Marino Rocks in Adelaide, South Australia on Sunday, January 17.
Although the report remains unverified, the helicopter crew who observed the shark estimated it to be 7 meters long. If true, this would be one of the biggest great whites ever photographed. There are some hazy historical records of these sharks growing to almost 11 meters (36 feet), however the largest verified specimen was recorded as 6.4 meters (21 feet) long.
The image was posted on the Shark Alerts South Australia Facebook page. The post said the shark-spotters “used their Jet Boat to compare the size which is around 6m and the shark was bigger.”
The post was met with a mixed response online. While most people seem in a mixed state of awe and alarm, many are skeptical about the measurement of the shark. However, as one commenter pointed out: “Don't really matter if it's 4-5-6 or 7 meters. It's a BIG shark! When you're in the water with a [great] white, what’s a small one?”
"It's the biggest Iv ever seen as a crew member in the Westpac chopper, we put it down as 7m the photo really doesn't do...
Posted by Shark Alerts South Australia on Sunday, 17 January 2016
