Shark 'As Big As Jaws' Clears Australian Beach

A great white shark thought to be up to seven metres (22ft) long has been spotted off the coast of southern Australia, forcing the evacuation of a local beach.

A patrolling helicopter spotted the huge shark around 100m off Marino Rocks in Adelaide's south on Sunday afternoon.

The helicopter's crew members said it was around seven metres long, making it potentially as big as the fictional shark made famous in the Jaws films.

"It's the biggest I've ever seen as a crew member in the Westpac chopper. We put it down as 7m the photo really doesn't do it justice," one crew member said, according to a post on Facebook by Shark Alerts South Australia.

A nearby junior Surf Life Saving event was cancelled and swimmers were evacuated from the beach due to the sighting.

"Helicopter aerial patrols are currently herding a large White Shark out to sea off Marino Rocks," said Shark Alerts South Australia, a non-profit organisation that monitors shark movements.

"Nearby nippers events have been cancelled and all swimmers pulled from the water after the siren sounded."