Huge whale shark glides casually past divers in 'The Trench' off West Palm Beach

Divers had a close encounter with a whale shark off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday.

Keith Brock was with his wife and two other divers when he first spotted the large sea creature.

"It was such a shock," Brock told Action News Jax.

See photos of one of the world's largest underwater animals​
​​​​​​

He says they encountered it while going for a dive in a local area dubbed "The Trench," a dive spot about 20 meters deep in the Atlantic Ocean.

After swimming closer to get a better look at the massive shark, Brock says the fish rang in at about 35 feet long.

Whale sharks, widely considered as one of the planets' biggest sea creatures, can grow up to 40 feet long and tip the scale with an average weight of 20 tons.

SEE ALSO: Teen girl survives attack from raging shark by sucker punching it in the face

A native to the Florida area and a frequenter at the dive spot, Brock says he's never seen an animal so large.

"It's the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me underwater," Brock said.

Fortunately for Brock and the other the divers, these mammals feed primarily on plankton, krill and other small creatures.