Surfers beware: a great white shark has been spotted off the coast of Manhattan Beach.
Surfer Gus McConnell captured his encounter with the endangered species and shared the footage with NBC4.
"All of a sudden, a big ol’ shadow went right underneath me," McConnell said.
McConnell noticed the fin and the color of the creature lurking in the water, and signaled to his friend.
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"The great white went under his board and he saw the side of it, was like all white, so he knew it was a great white. I’m like, dude why are you (surfing) still," McConnell’s friend Jordan said.
According to McConnell, great white sightings are becoming more common in the Manhattan Beach area because they have been protected as endangered species and fishing regulations have left more food to eat.
Others told NBC4 that they too have seen sharks near the Manhattan Beach Pier and as far south as El Porto Beach.
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Surfers say there are three or four sharks that roam the area, and one in particular is tolerant of daredevil surfers.
"Some people will chase (the shark), they will, and some people have been known to grab it," surfer Beth Korol said.
Despite the shark sightings, McConnell is not too worried; there has never been a shark attack near Manhattan Beach.
"There is a pretty good chance you’re not going to get hit by one, but if it happened, it happened. And it wouldn't be that bad of a deal actually to go by shark, to be honest with you," McConnell said. "I would be honored to go by shark, seriously."
