ΑNIMΑLS

The scariest moment is when two divers get very close to an akoda, the world’s largest fish. Bartolomeo Bove and his friend Jca Ygarape experienced what for most people would probably be the most terrifying experience of their lives: a fantasy come true. They took the camera outside, but some people found it difficult to watch.

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Bove, a professional diver and marine videographer, has always been fascinated by these underwater giants, like the great white sharks or the green stunts, known as the world’s largest snakes.

But while sharks are easier to spot, it’s extremely difficult to see a green elbow shark in its natural habitat, as they typically live in swamps in southern America. But there is a place on Earth where they can be seen, and that is the Brasilia Formoso River, for its crystalline waters.

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“The rivers and bodies of water that surround the Bopito area are the only places in South America where you can get acopas of crystal clear water, so it is possible to dive with them,” Bové said.

So Bove and Ygarape went to take a look at this giant, and luckily for them they didn’t come back empty handed. Deep in the Formoso River, the two divers came face to face with an absolute beast: a 23-foot, about 200-pound log from Greece.

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Although it can be a little intimidating to see such a huge creature swimming alongside you, divers say that shoals are actually very peaceful, and their images prove it.

“The layers are not at all calm and peaceful, completely different from our presence; sometimes he gets close, curious about my camera [and] licking my legs,” Bove said. “The behavior of the layer dismantles the myth that it is an aggressive and violent creature that endangers people’s lives.

However, this giant is still a predator and should be treated with respect!

“It’s certainly an extremely strong predator and the largest of all rays that can react if threatened,” Bove said. “So you have to treat them with a lot of respect.”