Three great white shark sightings were reported this past weekend in Maine.
"A charter fishing boat reported seeing a shark around 1:30, about 1.2 miles off of Moody Beach," a WCSH anchor said.
The Wells Police Department wrote on Facebook Saturday it had contacted the U.S Coast Guard, but the reported shark sighting had yet to be confirmed.
The department also said, "These sightings are not infrequent; however, this sighting is abnormal given the time of year and proximity to the beach."
WGME spoke with the harbor master for the area, Chris Mayo, who said, "In my time as harbor master, this is the most credible report of a large predator." That's because the person who reported the sighting, was an "experienced charter boat captain."
National Geographic reports great white sharks can weigh up to as much as 5,000 pounds and be up to 20 feet in length.
The Portland Press Herald spoke with Kevin Proctor, who reported the second great white shark sighting about 26 miles off the Portland coast: "He was interested in our bait but came under the boat, circled around and came up parallel to the boat before he dove again."
And WCSH reports a diver spotted a shark just off of Old Orchard Beach.
Despite the multiple reportings, the Wells Police Department urged people not to panic.
To avoid the risk of a shark attack, the Florida Museum of Natural History says swimmers should stay in groups when out in the water, avoiding swimming in the early morning and at night, and not wear any flashy jewelry when swimming.
This video includes images from Getty Images and Scubaben / CC BY NC ND 2.0.
