It is one of the rarest giants of the ocean, and it has been caught on film for the first time.

An underwater camera crew filming for the BBC recorded a smalleye stingray swimming off the coast of Mozambique.

The smalleye stingray is the largest of all 70 species of stingray, attaining widths of more than 2m.

The elusive creature, first discovered in 1908, has only ever been seen alive off the coast of Tofo in southern Mozambique.

Footage of the fish will be broadcast on BBC Two at 2000GMT on Wednesday 11 November, as part of the programme Andrea: Queen of the Mantas for the BBC documentary series Natural World.