Police have recovered a body from the water at Twilight Beach in Esperance — believed to be that of a 21-year-old who went missing last week — after a number of sharks were spotted in the area.

Key points: The search for diver Gary Johnson's body is in its third day off the Esperance coast

The search for diver Gary Johnson's body is in its third day off the Esperance coast Mr Johnson and his wife had just entered the water when the shark attacked him

Mr Johnson and his wife had just entered the water when the shark attacked him Meanwhile the body of another man, missing since January 2, has been found

The grim discovery comes as the search continues for the body of Gary Johnson, who was fatally attacked by a shark seven kilometres off the Esperance coast on Sunday.

The 21-year-old man was with a group of friends on Thursday when he was swept into the ocean from the rocks at the holiday town on WA's south coast.

Police said while the identity of the deceased had not been established, it was believed to be the body of the man who went missing on January 2.

Beachgoer Alison Walker said she and her father and sister discovered the body in the water on Tuesday afternoon as dozens of holidaymakers looked on.

"Straight away I said to my dad, 'OK I definitely think it's a body, I'm definitely going (to go) back and get my phone, and I'll call the police'," Ms Walker said.

"We're just happy that the family will be able to grieve now, they have some peace."

Esperance's popular Twilight Beach has been closed in the wake of the shark attack. ( ABC News: James Carmody )

A popular stretch of coast between West Beach and Eleven Mile Beach, including Twilight Beach, is now closed to the public, after a number sharks were seen in the water at the time the body was recovered.

The missing man's family has been notified and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

Emotional scenes as victim search continues

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Johnson's wife — who was in the water with him at the time of the fatal attack — emotionally embraced police and rescue volunteers as the search for her husband's body doubled in capacity.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 52 seconds 52 s Shark survivor Karen Milligan thanks rescue crews

Karen Milligan was diving alongside Mr Johnson, 57, about 7 kilometres from Esperance on Sunday afternoon when he was attacked by what was believed to be a great white shark.

The couple had just entered the water off their boat near Cull Island and had descended to a depth of about 7 metres when he was attacked.

Ms Milligan managed to get away and raise the alarm, triggering the search for his body.

Gary Johnson was taken by a suspected great white shark near Cull Island. ( Facebook: Esperance Dive Club )

She was admitted to hospital suffering from shock, but on Tuesday she returned with family members to Esperance's Taylor Street jetty to thank the search team in person.

"The family are going through a hell of a lot, they're going through a great degree of trauma," Senior Sergeant Justin Tarasinski said.

"We've obviously got the blue shirt on but that doesn't protect us from emotions. So yeah, it was rough."

Senior Sergeant Tarasinski, the officer-in-charge of Esperance Police Station, said the family had come to terms with the possibility that Mr Johnson's body may never be found.

Ms Milligan and daughter Hannah embraced police officers at the Taylor Street jetty. ( ABC News )

"They have, but obviously we make every attempt possible to be able to find him and bring them that closure," he said.

A spokesman for the Fisheries Minister, Peter Tinley, said police had advised him Gary Johnson was wearing a shark shield but it was not switched on at the time of the attack.

Shark shields are a personal device, such as a wristband, that emit electrical currents designed to scare away the animals.

In Western Australia, a limited number are subsidised by the State Government — a policy announced following a fatal shark attack that claimed the life of teenager Laeticia Brouwer in Esperance in 2017.

Second underwater vehicle also looking for body

Specialist police divers were in Esperance last week searching for a man who had been washed off rocks, but that team was flying back to Perth when the shark attacked.

The flight was diverted back to Esperance so they could join the search for Mr Johnson.

Police divers returned to shore yesterday with an Mr Johnson's dive vest and oxygen tank. ( ABC News: James Carmody )

Shark activity has made it too dangerous for divers to actively look underwater for the body, but they are on standby for retrieval operations.

Mr Johnson's scuba tank and dive vest were recovered on Monday.

In place of the divers, the Department of Fisheries has been using a remote operated vehicle (ROV) to search the ocean floor.

An ROV is an unmanned device fitted with a number of cameras.

A second ROV has now been deployed to Esperance, doubling the search team's capabilities.

Difficult terrain on sea floor hampers search

Ms Milligan's stepdaughter delivered and emotional statement on behalf of her mother yesterday.

Ms Milligan says her husband was at home in the ocean and understood the risks. ( Supplied: Karen Milligan )

Sergeant Tarasinski said although conditions in the search for Mr Johnson were favourable on Tuesday, underwater visibility was limited, especially at depths of up to 30 metres.

"It's particularly difficult because of the terrain under the water … there's lots of crevices, ledges, caves, all in that area," he said.

Fisheries support vessels are enforcing a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the search area throughout the day.

Shark activity has made it too dangerous for police divers to actively look underwater. ( ABC News: James Carmody )

Some locals scared but others unperturbed

Elsewhere in Esperance, people have returned to the stunning beaches around the town with mixed views on their safety and sharks in the area.

Ocean swimmer Pamela Kerr, who has lived in Esperance for more than 30 years, spent Tuesday morning at popular Twilight Beach.

Pamela Kerr admits she is nervous swimming in the ocean. ( ABC News: James Carmody )

"I'm always nervous in the water," she said.

"I just think that's swimming in the ocean, isn't it. I mean I'm against shark culling or anything like that, I just think it's risk you take."

Esperance local Kacey Harland, 23, said the latest shark attack was likely to have caused some to think twice about entering the water.

"I don't really surf or anything like that so I don't go out too deep, but for my family and stuff, people who go out there and surf, it's pretty scary," she said.

But 13-year-old surfer Ben Brierly said he was undeterred by the attack.

"It doesn't really worry me, I don't worry about it that much. Just having fun surfing," he said.

"Everyone that surfs has it in the back of their heads sometimes, but I love surfing so [I'm] not going to get out of there."