What does a whale shark look like up close? Diver's beautiful video

Diver Gets Up Close and Personal With a Whale Shark

Ever wondered what a whale shark looks like up close?

Well now you've got the chance to take a look at the life of this spectacular animal.

Footage captured by one brave diver shows the animal floating serenely through the water taking in large gulps of water.

According to National Geographic, the whale shark is the largest fish found in the sea and measuring a mammoth 40 feet in length.

Luckily for the diver, the large fish's favourite meal is generally plankton and the video shows the shark using its mouth to scoop up any plants, animals and fish that happen to be passing by at the time.

Whale sharks tend to prefer living in warmer waters and so are found in tropical seas, but in spring they will migrate to the west coast of Australia - sounds like a good life!

The animal is easily recognisable thanks to the stunning pattern of white spots that covers its back and tail.

Like fingerprints on a human, the spots on a whale shark are unique to each fish, allowing them to be indentified by organisations such as WWF.

According to the WWF, the presence of whale sharks in waters also shows the health of the ocean and the presence of plankton.