Imagine yourself scuba diving in crystal-clear water, playfully fending off a pesky remora before sensing the presence of a truly enormous shark.
You turn around and the wide-bodied shark, measuring perhaps 30 feet, swims toward you before opening its giant mouth.
Whale shark closes in on scuba diver.
Thankfully, you realize immediately that this immense creature, placing you into its shadow, is a harmless whale shark.
The accompanying footage, shared recently by the Manta Diver Center in Indonesia, affords an entertaining glimpse into the world of diving with whale sharks.
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Having experienced this type of encounter in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez (minus the remoras), I can attest that it’s beyond surreal to be in the presence of the planet’s largest living shark (and fish) species.
Whale sharks, which can measure much longer than 30 feet, inhabit tropical waters and feed on plankton. To divers, they are gentle giants and a top-level bucket-list species.“
“When a big shadow appears in the deep blue & starts moving straight towards you,” reads the Manta Dive Center Instagram description.
The footage, enhanced with text and “Jaws” theme music, serves as a reminder for divers to always check their surroundings.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Massive whale shark surprises preoccupied scuba diver in Indonesia