Reports of a large great white shark near popular beaches in Maine have prompted a warning to beachgoers.

Many scientists believe the increased seal population is leading to more human encounters with white sharks, who prey on seals. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)PORTLAND, Maine Seals are thriving off the Northeast coast thanks to decades of protections, and that victory for wildlife has brought a consequence for humans more encounters with sharks. Seals are a favorite prey of large sharks such as the great white. That was the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts in more than eight decades, while the death of Holowach on Monday was the first documented fatal shark attack in Maine history. Australia has been the site of 652 unprovoked shark attacks according to records that go back to 1580, the International Shark Attack File reported.