Sea creatures make an impression off Rotto

A recent snorkelling trip to Rottnest Island has resulted in some stunning footage for a West Australian group of commercial divers "with a passion for film".

The Terra Australis team, whose website states that they endeavour to deliver "the most unique and amazing underwater footage", captured their incredible encounter with an array of sea creatures off the WA coast.

The group posted a video entitled Terra Rays to YouTube last week.

Among the images captured by cameraman Cameron Wallis is the moment a stingray swims over the top of one of the filmmaker divers, Johnny Debnam, 29.

The two had been diving with fellow filmmaker Andre Rerekura in about 4m of water off Thomson Bay.

Mr Debnam, from Sorrento, told The West Australian the creature was very gentle, despite weighing about 150kg.

"It covered my body twice and I told Cameron, then the stingray came back and covered me again and that's when we caught it on camera nibbling my head," he said.

He said the stingray was huge.

"They're massive and they could really mess you up with their tail if they wanted to, but why would they if they don't need to," Mr Debnam said on camera.

"I was totally at peace. I loved that thing going over the top of me.

"It was awesome. It did it three times and I wanted it to do it again. It's just a bit of a rush.

"I was totally calm and at his level (and) I think that's what made him happy to approach me."

Mr Debnam said the footage was filmed as part of a documentary by Terra Australis about sharks, shipwrecks and marine life off WA.

"We're hoping it will be released within the next year," he said.

"We've had quite a few encounters up and down the coast of WA, including 300kg Queensland grouper and 4m tiger sharks near Geraldton."