
This is the incredible moment one daredevil diver reached out of his underwater cage and patted a Great White shark on the nose.

Not content with merely watching the terrifying predator prowling the underwater environment, the three scuba divers decide they want to get up close and personal.

One member of the group decides the only way to attract the shark's attention is by teasing it with some bait. And so some food is floated out of the cage to attract attention.

This is the moment a deep-sea diver came perilously close to a Great White shark and proceeded to pat it on its nose

To get the shark's attention, food was dangled out of the cage by one of the diving group, and it was soon gobbled up

The cage swings from side to side as the huge sea beast clamps its mouth around the bait

The Great White swims up to the cage, and it is this moment where the diver leans his body between two rungs, and reaching out his hand, pats the beast on the nose.

The other two divers remain in the confines of the cage, one photographing the incredible, if not heart-stopping encounter.

The pictures, taken by Dmitry Vasyanovich, 47, from Moscow, Russia,

The perilous incident took place off the coast of Guadalupe Island, Mexico, a well known breeding ground for the fearsome shark..

This diver will have been hoping the Great White had its eyes on the bait sent out for it, and not the human arm

There is no messing around, as the shark decides not to pass up a free meal and swims towards the diving cage before feasting

With food on offer, it was hardly surprising another Great White decided to join the deep-sea party

Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish on earth and typically grow to around 15 feet in length and weigh up to 5,000 pounds.

In November last year footage emerged of divers swimming in the same area of water at Guadalupe Island, coming face-to-face with what is widely regarded to be the largest great white shark ever caught on camera - Deep Blue.

The 20-foot-long predator was first filmed near Mexico's Guadalupe Island in 2013 and featured on Discovery Channel show Jaws Strikes Back.

Researchers tagged the enormous fish and videographer Mauricio Hoyos Padilla released footage of it interacting with the divers inside a cage.

Shortly after the predator led the group of researchers to where she more than likely feeds - an elephant seal colony.

At the time the fish was filmed it was pregnant and measured over six metres in length. Researchers estimated that the giant was also around 50 years old.

The Great White misjudges where the food is as its nose, that was later patted by one of the group, butts the cage

This photo shows the size of the magnificent, and deadly, sea animal as it circles the cage of three divers

Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish on earth and typically grow to around 15 feet in length

A few days ago Mail Online reported how cinematographer Elke Specker captured the incredible moment a Great White shark breaches the waves to ravage tuna bait at the same location.

Specker said: 'I spent about six hours a day in shark cages for three days straight to capture the moment. Normally sharks only attack just below the surface. Food is the only way to bring them in close enough to be filmed. Chunks of tuna were tied to a rope and tossed in front of the cage.'

The filmmakers' persistence paid off as the 15ft, 3,500 pound male leapt majestically in full view of the cameras.

The dive marked Specker's first time first time being up close and personal with a Great White - the largest predatory shark in existence.

'It is awe inspiring and quite intimidating coming face to face with them. You know your time could be up at any second, if they really wanted you,' she said.