Postman Martin Yelland was stunned to have this close encounter with a shark on a dive off the Cornish coast.
Martin, 38, a keen wildlife photographer, was on a snorkelling trip just off Penzance when the blue shark, a species which can grow up to 13ft long, swam straight towards him.
And it hung around for about an hour, before being scared off by a pod of 80 dolphins.
Martin, who lives in St Erth, Cornwall, told Cornwall Live : "It was a really memorable encounter.
"I was apprehensive the evening before the shark snorkel, but once I saw the sharks, I was just amped to get in the water as they were so graceful and inquisitive.
"At no stage did I feel frightened, the sharks were curious but in no way aggressive.
"The blue sharks come so close you sometimes need to get out of their way, as we were told never to touch them."
Martin, a father of two, fell into animal photography after starting his family and has been snapping local wildlife such as kingfishers, choughs, badgers, foxes and deer for many years.
He added: "It was such a buzz, and to see the super pod of dolphins was insane too.
"There were a group of 10 of us out on the snorkel trip, and I loved it so much I've booked on again next week.
"I've always done surf and, more recently, wildlife photography, but seeing the sharks up close was one of the best things I've ever done."
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