Florida Teen Rides 30-Foot Shark [VIDEO]

A Fort Myers teenager was fishing in the Gulf of Mexico when he spotted a a 30-foot shark in the water next to their boat. My reaction to seeing a shark of any size, let alone a 30-foot behemoth, would be to curl up in the fetal position and cry for my mommy. 19-year-old Chris Kreis' reaction was the complete opposite.

Kries jumped in, swam up to, then rode the giant for several seconds.  Granted, it was a non-aggressive whale shark, but they are the largest fish species in the world.  Kries told WBBH,

When I started holding on I felt the whale shark it started moving itself, it felt the drag and it didn't really want me on there so I let go and that's it.

The whale shark was not injured during the encounter with the teen.  Scientists ask that GPS coordinates are reported where sightings of whale sharks occur to track migration patterns.  While riding whale sharks is not illegal, experts advise against coming into contact with them because it can be damaging to both humans and the fish.