A diver has shared the incredible sight he witnessed on the sea floor, describing it as something he will remember “for the rest of my life”.

Ivan, 25, from Serbia, was Scuba diving in the Red Sea, off the coast of Egypt, when he spotted a majestic whale shark swimming near him.

“We were coming back from scuba diving and saw fish coming out of the water,” he said. News week. “The captain knew something was happening and he told us about the possibility of a whale shark.

“I grabbed my mask and snorkel and jumped in the water. I started recording and I looked down and saw him swimming towards me.”

In addition to the photos he published on RedditIvan shared the video he took with News week. “It went directly under me, about 1.5 meters below me, and swam away,” he said.

“It’s a lot faster than I expected. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it’s even cooler that it’s unexpected.”

In the video, the creature is seen moving towards Ivan just below the surface of the water before turning around to swim down and away from him. The shark tells its story as it moves through the water, with other divers seen swimming nearby to catch a glimpse of it.

Ivan said News week that he feels like he won the “divers’ lottery” thanks to his observation, a memory he says he will cherish all his life.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, whale sharks are the the biggest of all fish alive today. They are found in tropical waters around the world and are easily identified by the unique white spots on their bodies.

The photos in the Reddit post appeared to wow other social media users. “They are such magnificent animals,” said u/ss-siren.

u/Sobsis said: “A random whale shark is a once in a lifetime experience. I hope you at least said hello and gave him a little wave.”

“I also just wanted to say how amazing it is that we have the privilege of sharing this planet with creatures (whose) evolving physical expressions resemble the night sky. (It) reminds me how intimately everything is connected. We come from the stars,” said u/LunarLillyBloom.

“It’s an item on my bucket list, I’m so jealous,” u/Tyranical_Requiem.

“It’s awesome, swimming next to one is surreal,” u/Brickwater shared.

“Whale sharks are at the top of my list to dive with,” said u/fullsends.

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