IT could be a real life sighting of a great white shark.

Commercial fishermen Ian and Annie Gilbert say they have never seen anything like the giant animal they spotted off Swanage while out working and reckon it could be a great white – made famous in the Jaws films of the 1980s.

Ian, 48, and Annie, 45, of Wareham, have been fishing the waters for the past six years and were in their boat Happy Hooker 2 on May 31 when they saw the shocking sight.

Ian said: “We were travelling out of Swanage and saw a large fin break the surface. We got about 30 metres behind it and it was about half the length of the boat, which makes it 14-15ft long, easily.”

He said he was sure it was not any of the more common species seen in British waters, such as the basking shark.

Ian added: “This thing was massive and it was quite aggressive as well. It suddenly realised we were there, did a very swift half circle and then dived down under the boat, which 99 per cent of sharks would not do.

“That would make it a mako or a great white. It would not be anything else. We’ve never seen anything like this before and will probably not again.

“It’s something we will not forget in a hurry. We always see dolphins and smaller sharks.”

Great whites are normally found in waters with temperatures between 12 deg C and 24 deg C, as is the mako, but they have been reported in British waters during the summer as they migrate across the Atlantic. The sighting was made during the recent hot spell of weather.