An enormous shark has been filmed circling a research vessel in the Atlantic in a video that has social media users comparing the huge creature to a megalodon.

The shark was seen gliding by the ship, located around 100 miles off New England, as passengers screamed in awe.

‘Holy f***,’ Alex Albrecht, who filmed the video, can be heard exclaiming as the shark, believed to measure some 17 feet in length passed by.

Albrecht, 20, shared the footage on TikTok, where it has been viewed more than 40million times.

‘Sailed six weeks in the atlantic and saw this big f***ing shark,’ the Seattle musician wrote alongside his post.

Tens of thousands of TikTok users have commented on the video, comparing the gargantuan creature to the prehistoric megalodon, an extinct species of shark.

An enormous shark has been filmed circling a research vessel in the Atlantic in a video that has social media users comparing the huge creature to a megalodon

The huge creature slowly glides by the ship, located around one hundred miles off New England, as passengers can be heard screaming in awe

‘Isn’t that megalodon?,’ wrote one user.

‘Here come the megalodon comments,’ another commented.

‘So the Meg is real,’ another wrote, referring to a 2018 action film where a group of scientists encounter a megalodon.

Megalodons could measure up from 40 to 60 feet in length and could weigh anywhere from 50 to 75 tonnes, according to National Geographic.

The fearsome creatures went extinct some 2.5million years ago.

Many social media users suggested that the enormous creature in the video was likely a basking shark or a whale shark.

‘Holy f***,’ Alex Albrecht, who filmed the video, can be heard exclaiming as the shark, believed to measure some 17 feet in length passes

Tens of thousands of TikTok users have commented on the video, comparing the gargantuan creature to the prehistoric megalodon, an extinct species of shark

‘It’s a harmless basking shark, they only eat like crill and stuff,’ one TikTok user wrote.

‘BASKING SHARK YALL,’ another wrote confidently.

‘Anybody else kinda wanna jump in,’ another TikTok user joked.

While most of the comments were focused on the shark, a few people were distracted by where Albrecht appears to be filming from – the very top of the mast.

The shark was spotted by those aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer during a six week marine research trip from Florida to Massachusetts, Albrecht told The Sun Online.

‘We were also being trained as tallship crew, so we sailed the boat ourselves as students.

‘The video is taken from high up on the mast, where you can climb to tend to rigging or enjoy the view,’ he told the website.

‘I’m so grateful to be able to share such a wonderful creature with so many people, I hope it makes people want to protect and conserve biodiversity in our oceans.’

Many social media users suggested that the enormous creature in the video was more likely a basking shark (pictured) or a whale shark [Stock image]

source: dailymail.co.uk