Fannie Bay feast: Manta Ray caught helping himself to shrimp.

The Italian fisherman who captured the footage said he “never seen a fish like this”. SEE THE VIDEO.

Footage of a giant manta ray feeding off the shore of Fannie Bay in Darwin has emerged this week.

Matteo Bruttomesso, from Italy, captured the footage and said he had never seen sea-life like it before.

“It was a quiet morning at work and around 8am my mate called me to point out that in the seas there was this large manta ray of at least three metres in diameter hunting for small shrimp,” he said.

“As a fisherman, I was really impressed, because I had never seen a fish like this, especially in Italy where I come from.”

Manta rays are known to feed in the shallows off Darwin, with their wings often breaking the surface, giving the illusion of two dolphins swimming together.

Hailing from Italy, Matteo Bruttomesso has been impressed with the Top End's species.

Mr Bruttomesso estimated the large manta to be at least 100 metres offshore and said he was glad to record the memory.

“After a couple of minutes of watching her hunt I realised that it wasn’t just a quick sighting, so I decided to film the scene,” he said.

“The people I showed the video to were amazed, but for those who want to see them swimming apparently this is the right time, and why not do it in a beautiful garden while sipping a beer at the Darwin Sailing Club.”