A huge mako shark leapt 20 feet above the surface of the water while chasing a fisherman’s bait.

Keith Poe was tagging sharks off Catalina Island, California, USA, on May 3 when a 12-foot-long mako started circling his boat.

Impressive footage captured by the Shark Week veteran shows him reeling in his line in the Pacific Ocean.

Suddenly the massive mako – which normally reach an average of seven-feet-long – soared out of the sea and flipped upside down while landing from about 20 feet in the air.

Keith said: “I've put my hands on and tagged over 5000 sharks and have seen makos jump over a thousand times, it never gets old.

“When things come into contact with their skin, they jump and splash down to knock it off like parasites.

“Also when attacking something at the surface their speed when they break the surface will launch them into the air. Being the fastest shark in the world allows them to achieve such incredible heights.

“I am from Southern California and have spent my life fishing. I have been tagging the biggest Makos and Great Whites in the world for the last 30 plus years.”