This is the incredible moment a group of fishermen actually 'petted' a huge whale shark. Tarick Nielsen, 27, was out with a group of fishermen on a private fishing trip when they spotted the whale shark approaching the boat. Once the animal was within reach, Tarick and a friend lent over to stroke the gentle giant - which appears to enjoy the interaction. The group were left in awe after the gentle giant swam away into the Zanzibar Channel, off the coast of Tanzania. Tarick, a fisherman and marine engineer from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, described the experience as ‘magical’. He said: “It’s happened a few times. They come right up to the boat and say 'hi'! ”It was truly magical to experience the curiosity of this young whale shark, so we took the chance to say a friendly 'hello'.” This video was filmed in May 2020.