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Whale shark spotted off the coast of Venice

Video shows the "gentle giant" swimming right up to a boat.

VENICE, Fla. — One group of boaters was hoping to come home from their fishing trip with a big catch, but they were shocked when they got an unexpected visit from the largest fish in the sea.

Ricky Beasley captured the incredible moment when a whale shark swam by his boat in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Venice.

He said in a Facebook post that they were about 30 miles out into the Gulf when they spotted the marine animal.

Beasley said they didn't want to disturb the whale shark by swimming anywhere near it. They admired it from the boat, as it looked "so graceful and peaceful." He did add that it stayed close by for a couple of hours while they fished.

Though its name is misleading, whale sharks are not whales at all, but the world's largest fish. They can actually grow up to 40 feet but still have teeth that are so tiny that they can only eat shrimp, fish and plankton, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Whale sharks are often called "gentle giants," as they are known to interact with divers and swimmers, the Florida Museum says. It adds that the creatures can be found in almost all tropical and warm waters throughout the world.

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