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Possible Great White Shark Spotted Off Brevard Co. Coast

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla.,None — The great white shark is the ocean's most dangerous predator, and WFTV learned on Wednesday that it could be lurking off Brevard County's coast.

RAW VIDEO: Possible Great White Shark Swimming

A scuba diver said he shot video of what he thought was a great white shark 170 feet deep off Sebastian Inlet. The scuba diver said he and a group of divers were looking to spear some amberjack fish, but they said they caught a glimpse on of what may be a great white shark. WFTV took the video to a marine biologist to see if the scuba divers really saw a great white shark.

Kevin Johnson, a professor at Florida Tech with doctorate in marine biology, viewed the tape the scuba divers shot.

"Many features consistent with a great white," said Johnson.

Johnson said it's difficult to say with absolute certainty that the shark is a great white. Johnson said there are several distinguishing characteristics that are consistent, including the size of the eyes and gills, coloration, and the size shape of all the fins.

"This really heavy keel is consistent with a great white shark," said Johnson.

Johnson said there is no question that it's not a bull shark or tiger shark, which are more commonly found off the coast of Florida.

Great whites are typically found in slightly cooler waters, but it's not unusual for them to feed off the coast of Florida. Johnson said that with great white's there is no telling how long one might hang around or where it will roam to next.

Great whites are protected, so people can't kill them. Johnson said it's possible that there are more great whites off our coast than we realize, and what is truly unique about the sighting is that it was caught on video.