Kayaker's close encounter with rare giant shark is surreal

A holidaymaker has had an incredible brush with a seven-metre basking shark while kayaking off the coast of the picturesque Isle of Man in the UK.

The man behind the camera immediately spotted the dorsal fin and soon, the shark spotted him.

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As seen in the footage captured by the kayaker above, the basking shark made a beeline for his vessel, except the shark seemed to have only good intentions.

Despite the primeval appearance of the massive creature, the shark simply circled the kayak as it fed on the plankton underneath. Once it was done, the shark swam off, without disrupting the kayaker.

This popular holiday island becomes a basking shark hotspot from around mid-May to mid-August, so travelling here presents a rare opportunity to get up close with the world's second largest fish.

And you'll never forget the moment you stare down the jaws of a basking shark — it's utterly surreal.

While not considered dangerous, the shark species typically grows anywhere from six to eight metres in length.

Its gaping mouth — around three feet wide in adult specimens, like this one — is no doubt a confronting sight for some of the holidaymakers who frequent the island. They usually keep their mouth wide open for around a minute, before closing and swallowing the plankton they've caught.

Cute or terrifying? We'll let you be the judge.