Freediver, Jean-Louis Lebreux, was happy to play along with the friendly creature despite its long serrated and venomous spine.  Although not fatal to humans, the spine can be incredibly painful – although you wouldn’t know it to look at these remarkable underwater snaps.

The special moment was caught on camera by photographer, Mark Tilley. The 33-year-old from the Cayman Islands, was on a dive with his friend at Grand Cayman when the playful southern stingray pulled the unusual stunt.

Mark, a boat captain, said: “I have never ever seen a stingray do this in seven years on the Cayman Islands. “The stingray hovered over my friend Jean-Louis Lebreux before dropping its wings down to the sand and enveloping my freediving buddy. “It was really unique behaviour and made me smile.”