A diver off the coast of South Africa narrowly avoids becoming a Bryde's whale's lunch when it passes dangerously close to him.
The man is enjoying observing the fish and marine wildlife below him when the massive creature suddenly creeps up and swims underneath him.
Luckily the mammal avoids the shocked diver and swims off, breaking the surface of the water.
The video captures the full length of the animal as it leaves the diver, including its impressive v-shaped tail.
'I was fast enough at least, and had a once-in-a-life time experience,' said the filmer after the close encounter.
As he comes back to the surface of the water with the camera in selfie mode the diver seems visibly shaken by the incident.
The diving boat with other members of the team can be seen in the background when the man emerges.
Bryde's whales are found in every ocean of the world, according to marine biologists.
However, as they prefer waters of 16C or more, they limit their travel to within tropical, subtropical and warm temperate waters – the only species of baleen whale to do so.
Some populations of Bryde's whales take such a liking to an area that they become considered 'resident', while other populations migrate away from the equator in summer and back again in winter.
Populations of Bryde's whales can also be found in the Gulf of California as well as off the coast of South America and New Zealand.
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This article has been adapted from its original source.
