HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Shark sightings aren’t out of the ordinary in South Florida, but a 10-foot shark spotted off the Intracoastal Waterway in Hollywood was too close for comfort for some residents.

The shark was spotted cruising around North Lake, Thursday morning.

The lake is connected to the ocean, the water is brackish, and tons of wildlife appear to be thriving there.

Most residents in the area seem to think it’s a mako, but a shark this big has the neighborhood talking.

“I’ve seen dolphins. I haven’t seen much else, though,” said Mary Beth Minton, who lives nearby.

“Never a shark?” asked 7News’ Brandon Beyer.

“Never, ever,” Minton replied.

The shark seems to favor this area because he is sticking around and hasn’t gone elsewhere, although this abnormal behavior has given residents and scientists cause for concern.

Beyer found the marine predator not too far from where it was first seen.

It even popped its head up at one point, showing off its triangular teeth.

Dr. Mahmood Shivji, a marine scientist at Nova Southeastern University, said something is off with this shark.

“If it is a mako, this would be very unusual,” he said.

He added that makos aren’t typically found in this kind of area.

“This is completely unusual. For them to be this close to shore, there’s no business for them this close to shore,” said Shivji.

But residents said the shark had been hanging in the waterway for a few days.

“He’s not going anywhere. He keeps coming back. This morning back down, and he’s coming back up again,” said one resident.

Others said they wouldn’t swim in the lake with the shark inside.

“Would you swim in here after that?” asked Beyer

“No, thank you, but I was hoping I would see manatees instead,” said a woman.

But another resident is open to the idea of kayaking, despite the shark’s sharp teeth.

“I don’t mind kayaking around them. I don’t swim, it’s just he’s rather large, that’s the only concerning part,” said another resident.

Even though makos are one of the fastest sharks in the ocean, the one spotted in Hollywood is just cruising. He seems to be out of his element and moving slowly.

“So if it’s a mako, there is something wrong with this animal. It is either because it is lost, it should not be anywhere close to where it is right now,” said Shivji.

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