Shark that killed man in California on Christmas Eve was likely a great white

MORRO BAY, Calif. - A shark that killed a man off the coast of central California on Christmas Eve was likely a great white, an official said.

The man was pulled from the waves near Morro Bay on Friday after a surfer saw him face down in the water with a boogie board floating nearby. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim’s name wasn’t released. But Morro Bay Harbor Director Eric Endersby said the man was 31 years old and that officials had identified him and notified his next of kin.

The man’s car was found parked in a dirt lot on the south side of Morro Creek, Endersby said Saturday.

Endesby told the San Luis Obispo Tribune that there were no witnesses to the incident, although it was "definitely, clearly a shark attack" and likely involved a great white.

Morro Bay is about 200 miles north of Los Angeles.