A diver had a close encounter with a curious grey nurse shark off the coast of Port Macquarie in early October.

The free diver was given a spectacular view of the shark’s face, gills and teeth as it swam among a school of fish.

“Feeling so lucky to be able to observe grey nurse sharks in their natural environment,” the uploader

Roger Koenig said.

The Australian federal government has listed the east coast grey nurse shark population as critically endangered.

Growing to at least 3.6 metres in length, they are most often observed just above the sea bed in or near deep sandy-bottomed gutters or rocky caves. Credit: Instagram/rog_freedive