The diver who nearly got swallowed by a whale shark

This diver almost got sucked into the mouth of a massive whale shark while it fed on thousands of plankton.

The shark, the sea's largest fish, is actually incredibly docile. The relieved diver escaped from the encounter unscathed and continued to enjoy the presence of the extraordinary animals.

Other amazing pictures from the session taken by photographer Mauricio Handler show 'shark suckers' - other fish attached to the animals as they swam through the sea.