Seaside town on alert after 'Jaws' sighting

A seaside town has been placed on alert after a 22-foot Great White Shark was sighted in a shallow lake, with police already calling it "Jaws."

The shark, which normally prefers deeper and colder offshore waters, was caught by a commercial fisherman casting nets on Tuggerah Lake, which opens to the Pacific Ocean some 60 miles north of Sydney.

But its huge size forced the fisherman to release his net, Entrance region police chief Tim Winmill said.

'It's a big one'
"The shark was bigger than the guy's 18-foot boat and he could clearly see its head and tail above the water," Winmill told Reuters.

"It's a big one, like Jaws," he added.

More than 50,000 people live in the lakeside area, which is popular with retirees and vacationers.

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Tuggerah Lake is only about 10 feet deep and 7.5 miles long.

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Great Whites can weigh up to 5,000 lbs. and are common off southern Australia, South Africa, California and Mexico, where they prey normally on seals, dolphins and tuna.

In director Steven Spielberg's 1975 Oscar-winning popular thriller "Jaws," a Great White Shark terrorizes a summer resort, prompting the police chief to enlist the help of a marine biologist and professional shark hunter to end the attacks.