Watch as this underwater videographer goes face-to-face with crocodiles in Banco Chinchorro, Mexico.

Bartolomeo Bove, a professional shark diver, and underwater videographer recorded his incredible close encounter on July 29.

Banco Chinchorro is home to an estimated population of about 500 American crocodiles, also known as Crocodylus acutus.

Bove told Newsflare: "These crocodiles are powerful and highly intelligent predators, and each individual has its own personality with well-defined characteristics.

"For example, the crocodile that appears in the early scenes of the video was the largest at about three meters and the most even-tempered in terms of its interaction with me.

"For those who are wondering why they don’t attack me, and instead they let me approach them undisturbed and even touch them, the answer is simply that they could attack at any moment if they had the opportunity. Although most of these crocodiles surpass us, humans, in terms of size. In general, they perceive a human adult as 'too big' and therefore a less convenient prey compared to the ones that they usually feed on which are significantly smaller in size.

"That being said though, crocodiles certainly don’t disdain larger prey and may also attack humans should the opportunity arise. The 'safest' way to approach these crocodiles is directly in front of them due to their limited visual range, and at their same level or below them in the water column. Straight in front of them, because usually when they strike, they snap to the side, they do not lunge forward with a bite."

Bartolomeo Bove is a professional shark diver and underwater videographer. At the end of July 2020 I traveled to Banco Chinchorro in Mexico to dive with the American crocodiles. Banco Chinchorro is home to an estimated population of about 500 American Crocodiles (Crocodylus Acutus). These crocodiles are powerful and highly intelligent predators and each individual has its own personality with well defined characteristics. The crocodile that appears in the early scenes of the video for example was the largest (about 3 meters/9 feet) and the most even-tempered in terms of interaction with me. For those who are wondering why they don’t attack me and instead they let me approach them undisturbed and even touch them, the answer is simply that they could attack at any moment if they had the opportunity. Although most of these crocodiles surpass us humans in terms of size, in general they perceive a human adult as “too big” and therefore a less convenient prey compared to the ones that they usually feed on which are significantly smaller in size. That being said though, crocodiles certainly don’t disdain larger prey and may also attack humans should the opportunity arise. The “safest” way to approach these crocodiles is directly in front of them due to their limited visual range and at their same level or below them in the water column. Straight in front of them because usually when they strike, they snap to the side, they do not lunge forward with a bite.