SAN DIEGO -- A pair of surfers reported spotting a roughly 10-foot-long shark, possibly a great white, off Sunset Cliffs Wednesday.

The women were in the ocean near Point Loma Nazarene University when they saw the big fish about 11 a.m., San Diego lifeguard Lt. Brant Bass said.

They said the animal "cruised right by them," prompting them to hurriedly leave the water, the lieutenant said.

The description led officials to believe the surfers may indeed have had a close encounter with a great white.

"We're not entirely convinced it was (that species of shark), but it's possible," Bass said.

The city does not close coastal areas due to such reported sightings, according to lifeguard officials.