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While it is not unusual to spot great white sharks off the coast of Chatham Beach, this summer season a man was attacked by a great white off the cost of Truro Beach and this week 12-foot shark was seen off the coast of Sandy Neck Beach
Just when the residents of Cape Cod thought it was safe to get back into the water, a large great white shark was spotted swimming inside the famous tourist destination's bay.Videoed four miles off the popular Sandy Neck beach by tuna fisherman Jeff Richardson, the 12-foot long, 1,000 pound shark was aggressive - raising fears of another attack on holiday-makers and residents.

Made famous by Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster Jaws, Cape Cod has had a spate of great white shark sightings this summer season, including the first attack on a human since 1936. 'It was unreal,' said Richardson, who was looking for tuna on his friends harpoon boat Cynthia C on Tuesday when they spotted the shark. 'It got very aggressive. It turned on the boat, turned away from the boat and kept swimming. We followed it for about 10-15 minutes.'

Link to video

'It was a 12-foot great white shark, about 1,000 to 1,200 pounds.'

The sighting was unusual because great white shark's rarely are seen inside Cape Cod Bay, preferring to stay on the ocean-side of the famous-hooked peninsula.

'I'm like, 'A great white shark in Cape Cod Bay?' said Richardson to WCVB.

'Four miles offshore? That's crazy.'

After spotting the shark swimming only four or five feet below the water line, Richardson explained that he ran to the front of the boat and filmed using only his cellphone.

Richardson took pictures and video of the fish which were handed over to experts once the boating party had returned to shore.

The top state shark expert in Massachusetts said based on his initial viewing of the video, he's pretty sure it was a great white.

Greg Skomal of the state Division of Marine Fisheries said it was unusual to see sharks in Cape Cod Bay.

'We are pretty confident that it is a great white shark,' said Skomal.

'We do not have many sightings from Cape Cod Bay.'

While great white sharks come to the east coast of North America each summer to feed on migrating seals, their presence still unerves locals, especially since Spielberg's shocking Hollywood hit.

'Bottom line is, sharks sell,' said Skonal to the Boston Globe.

'Hollywood knows that. The media know it. It's something we have to contend with.

'But we've also seen a change in public attitudes. To some degree, we've moved away from 'the only good shark is a dead shark' mentality to a certain level of respect and reverence for these animals.

'That's great.'

Experts in Massachusetts confirmed another great white sighting earlier this month off Ballston Beach in Truro after a Chicago man was attacked in July.

Chris Myers and his teenage son were swimming toward a sandbar about 500 yards off the beach when Chris was bitten badly on his leg, although his injuries were not life threatening.