A filmmaker has had an adrenalin-pumping encounter with a large great white shark off a remote beach near Esperance.

Kalgoorlie-based filmmaker Ash Gibb was filming underwater off Lucky Bay, 60 kilometres east of Esperance, when he was suddenly bumped violently from behind.

"I dove down. I was in about five metres of water getting a great shot of this fish and I felt this massive thump from behind," he said.

"Very quickly I saw the great white shoot into the picture."

In the video, posted on Mr Gibb's YouTube channel, the shark eyes off Mr Gibb, circling him a number of times, twice retreating, only to suddenly turn and head back towards him.

All that separated Mr Gibb and the shark was the handle of his camera.

Ash Gibb says he had to focus on keeping his breathing steady so he did not panic. ( Submitted: Ash Gibb )

Mr Gibb said his memory of the encounter was blurred by adrenalin, but he remembered feeling detached from the moment in disbelief.

"At first I was quite excited. I thought, great, this is what I came for," he said.

He estimated the shark was 4-5 metres, and said a shark expert had told him the shark would have been a similar weight to a sport utility vehicle.

Mr Gibb is no stranger to risky and adventurous jobs — he once made a living shooting skydiving videos.

"The biggest thing for me was just focusing on my breathing. I didn't want to show that I was scared," he said.

"I reminded myself of my belief about sharks, which is the fact that they don't eat humans on purpose. We're not their food.

"I think that's sort of what got me through a lot of nerves, because it was very intense.

"Even though I wanted to go and do that, it was a very testing situation."

All that separated Mr Gibb from the shark was the pole on his camera. ( Submitted: Ash Gibb )

Mr Gibb was born and raised around the ocean, and his respect for the marine world is something he hopes to share in his latest documentary.

"I went there to show people that they [sharks] are beautiful creatures, so there was no chance of me fleeing that situation," he said.

"I was there to film. I got the opportunity. The chances of that actually happening are one in a million, so I took that opportunity and did my best to keep my hand steady, and capture it on film."

Mr Gibb said he had booked in to do his open water diving ticket, and hoped to be back in the water and spending more time capturing vision of great white sharks.

"I want to continue on filming. I'd love to see another great white. The bigger the better," he said.