WATCH: Fernandina Beach divers' close encounter with whale shark

A group of divers from Fernandina Beach got a rare up-close look at a whale shark on Sunday.

Keith Brock, his wife Brittany and their niece Addie saw the shark while diving off the coast of West Palm Beach.

Brock, who has lived in Northeast Florida his whole life, said getting to see the shark was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"It's the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me underwater," Brock told Action News Jax. "It was such a shock."

He said he and his wife have been on hundreds of dives but it was only his second time diving in West Palm Beach.

His family and their dive guide were the last four divers in the water when the shark swam near them.

He said it stuck around for about a minute before swimming away.

Whale sharks can grow to lengths of over 40 feet and weigh over a ton, according to FWC.

They feed only on microscopic plankton.

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Cox Media Group