A pensioner swam alongside the world’s fastest fish after it came surprisingly close to shore.

Rene Vagnotti was swimming off the coast of Hurghada, Egypt, on April 3 when he spotted an Atlantic sailfish unusually far from the open ocean.

Stunning footage captured the moment the 72-year-old stepped into the crystal clear water alongside the two-metre-long fish.

Despite being able to reach speeds of up to 70mph, the sailfish appeared to be very happy swimming among the reef and next to Rene.

Rene said: “I was really happy that I got to swim alongside the world’s fastest fish. They live in the open ocean so it’s very rare to see them near reefs.

“I was slightly concerned that I might get skewered by the rostrum as it swam so close to me. Fortunately it stayed with me for 10 minutes.”