Male rides on whale shark

A teenager has rode on the back of a whale shark

By Nicole Hamer |

13:35 18 June 2013

Teenager Chris Kreis, of Florida, took the opportunity to catch a ride with a whale shark earlier this month.

As the large sea dweller passed by the boat the youth was on, Kreis jumped into the sea and managed to ride on the back of the whale shark.

Video footage can be seen on the internet of the whale shark coming close to the surface and the 19-year-old jumping into the water, swimming to it and then briefly holding onto the fin on the whale sharks back.

The encounter is believed to have taken place in the Gulf of Mexico.

Kreis told NBC2: “When I started holding on I felt the whale shark it started moving itself, it felt the drag and it didn't really want me on there so I let go and that's it.”

Reportedly, he said he would not try the same thing again.

A whale sharks diet consists mainly of plankton, and they are not generally regarded as being a threat to humans.

Scuba divers and even snorkelers have been known to get quite close to whale sharks.

Although, some may perceive it that because of a whale sharks size, a person could potentially be injured by coming into close contact with it.

Whale sharks are thought to be the biggest fish species. They move relatively slowly and have white spots as well as a wide mouth.