This is the amusing moment a playful whale shark nudged a fisherman’s boat to ask for food in the Philippines.

Jie Lloyd Ledon Halichic and his friend Kent Puno were out fishing in Sibonga, Cebu province when the gentle giant swam over to greet them. The whale shark drew closer to the boat and kept staring at the young trawlers with its mouth agape.

Thinking the creature was hungry, they dropped some food into the water, which the beast quickly gobbled up. It then floated nearby for a few more minutes before gliding away.

Jie said: ‘I find it interesting to have seen something like that up close, but I was scared at the same time because of its size.’

Despite its size, the whale shark does not pose any danger to humans. They are docile and sometimes allow swimmers to catch a ride although the practise is discouraged by conservationists as it disturbs the species.

Whale sharks are endangered and classified as a threatened species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.