Photo: The Canadian Press

Steve McFadden, 49, of Plattsburgh, N.Y., gazes at Long Nook Beach in Truro, Mass., on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018.

Massachusetts' leading shark expert is trying to determine if the first person to be attacked in waters off the state since 2012 was bitten by a great white shark.

State marine fisheries senior biologist Greg Skomal will try to confirm Thursday if the 61-year-old victim's wounds are consistent with the kind of bite a great white would inflict.

The unidentified man survived Wednesday's afternoon's attack off Long Nook Beach in Truro, on the Atlantic Ocean side of Cape Cod. Authorities say he was bitten while standing about 30 yards offshore. He was airlifted to a Boston hospital.

Officials ordered the beach closed, and witnesses reported seeing seals in the water just before the attack.

Numerous shark sightings have been reported in the area this summer, including several involving great whites.