A gigantic 10-metre-long shark has been filmed swimming right up to a boat full of tourists in a rare encounter.

Nik Weyel, from New Zealand, had 19 passengers on his boat off the coast Mauou on the South Island when an enormous whale shark appeared.

In his video on Facebook , the shark’s fin can be seen approaching the boat from a distance.

As it gets closer, the true size of the beast becomes apparent.

“Oh my God, you are kidding right now,” Nik can be heard exclaiming.

Nik accompanied his amazing footage with the caption: “Something very very special happened today at work and I don't think I'll ever forget this moment.

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“Right here in Tauranga on board Bay Explorer. Excuse my extreme excitement but I'm sure you can all understand.”

He later told The New Zealand Herald that the group were initially out on the waters to look for dolphins.

When the fin appeared, he “instantly thought it was a hammerhead shark”.

But fellow passenger Heidi Glimaker then told him it was a whale shark.

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“It is unbelievably rare,” Nik continued. “They are the largest fish on the planet and they are super rare.

“It was quite an experience to come across that in the water and it was right underneath me.”

Unsurprisingly, the video proved a huge hit on Facebook.

“Holy s*** a whale shark, that’s a once in a never,” one viewer excitedly wrote.

Another added: “What a buzz that must’ve been.”

Whale sharks are the largest known fish species on the planet.

The biggest recorded individual measured a whopping 18.8 metres long.

But, unlike their smaller relatives, they pose no danger to humans and are filter feeders – meaning they only eat plankton and other small fish.

It comes after a gigantic 20ft great white shark was filmed circling a fishing boat.

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