In July, Bartolomeo Bove and his friend Jυca Yagarape had a remarkable encounter during their dive in Brazil’s Formoso River. They were confronted by a colossal green anaconda, measuring a staggering 23 feet (7 meters) in length and weighing approximately 198 lbs. (90 Kgs).

In the video, the enormous snake can be seen lying in the riverbed. When it spots the camera, it eyes it up close, flicking its tongue, and then swims away from the camera. Wanting to get more footage of the giant snake, Bove follows it.

And he did get some amazing footage of the giant reptile. According to Bove, this video demonstrates that anacondas are often misunderstood in terms of being aggressive. He claims that anacondas are not as aggressive as people tend to think they are.

“The rivers and bodies of water around the Bonito area are the only places in South America where anacondas can be found in crystal clear waters, and therefore diving with them is possible,” explained Bove.

“As shown in the footage, the anaconda swims calmly and peacefully, completely indifferent to our presence. Someᴛι̇ɱes it comes closer, curious about my camera, licking the lens.”

“The behavior of the anaconda debunks the myth that it is an aggressive and violent creature that can endanger people’s lives,” added Bove.

The green anaconda is the largest species of snake in the world and can grow up to 30 feet long (9.1 meters) and weigh 550 lbs (250 Kg). These king snakes are actually as magnificent as they are made out to be in popular movies.

They move really fast, killing their prey by constricting their breathing, wrapping their giant and equally powerful bodies around their prey. They can swallow prey much larger than themselves thanks to their ability to unhinge their jaws.

Watch the footage captured by Bove below. If you’re ready to have your mind blown, scroll down and click on the video. It will make you wish you were born in Brazil!