Five minutes after snatching the fish, the shark reappeared at the side of the 27 foot fishing boat. When Morris got a better look at the shark, he estimated it measured between 17 to 19 feet, the broadcaster reported.

Great whites have been known to reach up to 20 feet long, but this is rare. The average size for an adult great white is between 15 to 16 feet.

The shark was so huge that at first, Morris thought it might have been a whale shark. This is the world's largest fish and can grow up to 39 feet long.

"I seen big sharks but not that big, like two weeks ago, we had a 12-foot shark eat one of our fish next to the boat, but it's normal," Morris told KHON2. "It was wide. I was telling my friend whatever happens, do not fall in because he just ate a 100-pound ahi no problem at all, and he still came back he probably wants more."

This was only Morris' second encounter with a great white, despite having fished for decades.

Morris took several clips of his encounter, which KHON2 showed to Carl Meyer, a member of the shark research team at the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology.

Meyer told KHON2 that the shark's slightly pointed snout is a typical feature of the great white. The ease with which it snatched the tuna fish was also a giveaway, he said—whale sharks can only eat small shrimp, fish and plankton, while a great white's jaws are made for eating larger prey.

Great white sharks are a listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing global population. It is hunted for its fins and teeth and as a trophy for sport fishing.