Watch a giant stingray make friends with tourists

Footage of a large stingray being fed and making friends in the Maldives

Multiple videos show friendships struck between stringrays and people (Rex Features)

An enormous stingray approached a group of tourists in the Maldives who had been feeding fish by the marina and struck up a most remarkable friendship - and it was all caught on video.

The hungry sea creature leaped out of the water and tried to flap its way on board in an apparent search for food.

The tourists gleefully complied, and the stingray stuck around to play, allowing them to pet and stroke him.

Stingrays are known for their particular cartilaginous torso, and also their barbed tail with which they use to capture prey.

They are known to eat a variety of foods, such as sea worms, shrimp, claims and soft-shelled animals.

Stingray injuries are known to be agonising, but only on very rare occasions are they fatal, as was the case with famed wildlife expert Steve Irwin.

But the animal is revealing itself to be more people friendly than you’d expect.

In another Youtube video, a giant stingray off the coast of Costa Rica approached a group of underwater divers.

It was caught in a fishing net, and seemingly asking the divers to free it.

Diver Thomaz Monteiro told Ecorazzi: “It was the first I saw a manta ray. There was a very profound interaction between her and the diver.”

The creature’s eventual saviour was Brian Thompson, who said: “I felt so strong a love for her and happiness to know that she was free and could enjoy her life again.”

Like her fellow ocean dwellor in the Maldives, the Costa Rican stingray frolicked around for another long while.