A group of fishermen caught more than they bargained for in WA's north - filming an enormous manta ray swimming around their boat just metres from the shore.
Boilermaker Chris Holzer and his mates were returning from a crabbing trip at Boat Beach on Sunday just outside the Pilbara town of Wickham when they spotted something big in the water.
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Massive manta ray surprises fishers
This massive manta ray swims around a fishing boat in WA's remote Pilbara. Video: Chris Holzer.
"It was at least three metres across, very big and very graceful," Mr Holzer said.
"It just came right in and swum around the boat. An amazing sight.
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"It was in very shallow water, like seven metres, so it was very clear and we had a good look at it."
Having moved to Wickham from South Australia around 18 months ago, Mr Holzer has become a keen fisherman in the Pilbara and said he loves nothing more than getting out on the region's pristine water.
But he'd never seen a manta ray so big or so close before.
"I was kicking myself - I should have had my Scuba gear and the GoPro, had a really good look at it," he said.
"But the video's been a hit, like 800 people watching it, and my mum and dad and my kids are sharing it and commenting on it."