Expert Diver High-Fives a 20-Foot Great White Shark (VIDEO)

First Posted: Jun 11, 2015 02:51 PM EDT

Imagine seeing one of the largest creatures in the sea: the massive, great white shark. Now imagine giving that shark a high-five and living to tell the tale; that's exactly what one diver did off of the coast of Mexico.

Maurico Hoyos Padilla, a diver who lives in Baja California, recently posted a video to his Facebook page, showing himself touching one of the true terrors of the deep.

The great white shark is the largest predatory fish on Earth. These animals grow to about 15 feet in length, though animals that have exceeded 20 feet have also been spotted in the deep oceans. Their upper bodies are a slate-gray to blend in with the rocky coastal sea floor from above. Their stomachs, though, are white in order to blend into the light streaming from the sun above. With over 300 serrated, triangular teeth in their mouths, these animals are some of the best hunters in the ocean.

Padilla, though, had a close encounter with one of these animals. Staying in a ceilingless shark cage while filming the 20-foot-long animal, Padilla stuck out his hand in order to brush the fin of the shark. According to Padilla, this animal was the biggest he had seen.

Largest-Ever Camera Trap Survey Reveals the Secret Lives of Serengeti Animals

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).

See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone

TagsShark, Great White Shark, Human