An expert diver has shared some of the fascinating encounters he has with many ocean creatures while venturing under the sea.

Nathan Mobach, 39, demonstrated just how safe it can be among the commonly feared sharks and stingrays if only one learns how to safely approach them.

Nathan, a Canadian native, is a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor who now works at Kraken Divers, a diving agency in Costa Rica, alongside friend and owner Daniel Miranda.

The pro diver told Newsflash in an interview that he left Canada to “retire” from his previous job as a human rights worker and help Daniel grow his dive operation.

Nathan said he often records videos while guiding customers on a dive.

One piece of footage shows Nathan coming across a Longtail Stingray relaxing while getting cleaned by a few different species of smaller fish while on a New Year’s Eve dive.

The second video features another peaceful ray, known as a Guitar Ray, or Guitarfish, keeping a low profile as it has camouflaged itself under some sand to get proper rest.

Nathan said he encountered the two creatures at a local dive site – Tortuga – which was made especially popular by the famous Disney franchise ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.

Nathan said: “Longtail Stingrays, as their name says, have the longest tail of all the stingray species.

“It has a whip-like tail that can be more than twice as long as its body.

“It has a serrated stinger spine, closer to its body that is only a few inches in length, not the entire length of the tail.”

He continued: “Southern Banded Guitarfish have had a strange naming history. They have a shark-like appearance but have been recently classified as rays, not sharks.

“My understanding is due to the location of their gills under their body, not along the sides like sharks.”

Other pieces of footage show the passionate scuba instructor having a short ‘meet-and-greet’ with several sharks, which he affectionately refers to as “the puppies of the sea”.

Speaking of how he first got into the diving profession, Nathan said: “I started my scuba diving life back home in Canada. I was first certified in 2016 in the cold waters, -1 degree Celsius.”

He recalled: “I was introduced to the water at a very young age living along the northern shore of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada.

“My parents would take us to the beach and I would spend all day in the water if I could. I began snorkelling and wanting to see under the waves.”

Nathan added: “Once I finally got certified [in scuba diving], I knew this was my true passion and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

“I quickly realised that taking videos or pictures would be the best way to share my passion with others, as words cannot fully express the beauty of the underwater realm.

“Sadly so much has changed in the oceans and lakes over the years, even in the short time I have been diving.”