Lucky diver captures rare megamouth shark on camera
A lucky British diver has had a rare encounter with a megamouth shark off Indonesia's Komodo Island and captured the incredible experience on camera.
Penny Bielich was diving at the Gili Lawa Laut site on July 25 when she was fortunate enough to see the animal swimming near her.
It is believed she was diving with someone named Heikki Innanen who reportedly recommended the diver capture the uncommon experience on video.
According to National Geographic, the rare species of shark was discovered off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii in 1976.
It is reported that little is known about the species but they are believed to be filter-feeders and pose little threat to humans.
Florida Museum of Natural History has an official record of sightings and the National Geographic claims just over 60 sightings have been confirmed in the four decades since the shark's discovery.
The Florida Museum's website describes the shark as having a bulbous head with a rounded snout and a large mouth.
The sharks are thought to have poor swimming skills, soft, flabby bodies and grow to around five metres long.
