What could be the biggest great white shark ever recorded has been snapped by an underwater photographer diving off the coast of Guadalupe, Mexico. The shark is seen swimming up to two divers in a cage, who appear tiny in comparison to the monster fish.

The exact measurement of the shark could not be taken, but a visual comparison with the world's current record holder suggests it could be a contender for the world's biggest great white. Last year, footage emerged of a shark, dubbed Deep Blue, 'high fiving' a diver. This shark was estimated to be 20ft (6m) long.

Underwater photographer Stephen Frink, who publishes Alert Diver magazine, took the photo along with other great whites off the coasts of South Australia and South Africa. He said: "These are the three best places for great white sharks on the planet. Great white sharks are the ocean's apex predator. Any underwater photographer will covet a chance to get close and get photos of them.

"There is intimacy in my photos. With underwater photography it is necessary to get very close, and with a great white shark it takes a wide angle lens within three feet away. Getting near and showing their behaviour is my objective."

Frink's images show great whites attacking bait both underwater and at the surface, as well as swimming by unassumingly. "People are typically impressed with the predatory power of the great white, more so than any other shark," Frink said. "Great white sharks are notoriously shy. Only lately have we known where and when to find them, reliably. They are beautiful. They are majestic. They deserve to live."