This is the heart-stopping moment a photographer experiences a tense encounter with a massive alligator off the southeast coast of Mexico.

The footage, captured in Banco Chinchorro, shows a man facing the alligator closely as he holds his camera in an attempt to get a closer look at the reptile.

The photographer writes: ‘’I placed a GoPro on a weighted tripod and waited for the Crocodile to get close.

''This one mugged for me for quite a while.

''It was extremely cooperative and allowed me to get some really interesting close-up shots.''