This is the moment a whale shark whacked a tourist swimming nearby with its tail.

Footage shows the marine animal gliding in the water before slapping the snorkeller's bottom in Cebu province, the Philippines, on September 20.

Holidaymaker Des Jimenez swam to the surface and was not injured from the incident.

She said: ‘I did not noticed that the whale shark was very near. It hurt because the tail was too hard. It felt like a solid object hit me.'

Whale sharks are the largest known species of fish. Despite their immense size, which can reach 40 feet (12 meters) or more, they are gentle, slow-moving filter feeders.

Despite being a profitable industry for locals, whale shark tourism conservationists claim frequent human presence can disrupt the sharks' natural behaviour and alter their feeding patterns or migratory routes due to boat traffic or the presence of snorkelers and divers.