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These incredible pictures show the heart-stopping moment a talented diver was able to get eye-to-eye with a colossal humpback whale.

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In an astonishing contrast the tiny human diver looks miniscule compared to the 50ft female gentle giant of the seas sppotted in the South Pacific last week.

But experienced diver and cameraman Marco Queral, 42, said the jaw-dropping moment was all down to luck and had little to do with the skill he has mastered over 17 years.

He said: “The success in getting these shots is pretty much always down to the whale.

“They are extremely intelligent. Just like humans they have their own mind and come with strong personalities.

“Therefore the success in cetacean photography is pretty much all up to them. They decide whether I can take pictures of them or not. They must be in a right mood to let me get into this position.”

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And to get his spectacular images of marine life the world South American Marco relies on various tricks to catch the attention of passing.

“Perhaps the most effective and possibly only way to help my photography is to try to stimulate their curiosity. Dolphins, for example, sometimes love to hang out with me when I do some acrobats underwater like spinning and turning.

“They get as curious about me as I am about them, and that is the right time to take pictures of them as they show their individual personalities.”

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But mammals as large as whales are a different and much more  dangerous affair.

Marco said: “Their enormous size itself must be considered as an immediate life-threatening danger. I must be very cautious when they approach and investigate me.

“I believe they are gentle by nature but I am always aware their kind greeting of a tail swing may easily kill me by accident.

“Also, they are usually more shy and cautious toward humans and boats than dolphins are, perhaps because they are not so accustomed to seeing humans offshore.