It's feeding time! Holidaymakers film incredible moment hungry stingray leaps out of water and climbs ramp in search of food

·        Tourists in the Maldives got up close and personal with a gigantic stingray

·        While feeding fish off of the dock, a stingray approached for an easy meal

·        Trainer fed the stingray by hand and then reached out to stroke it

These tourists got the experience of a lifetime during a holiday in the Maldives.

While feeding fish off of a jetty, a hungry stingray saw an opportunity for a free dinner, jumping out of the water and climbing on to the man-made ramp.

Rippling its wings and straining up the wooden gangplank, the animal is fed by hand by a trainer three times as astounded holidaymakers look on. 

Hungry stingray climbs up ramp in search of food

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The stingray jumped out of the crystal clear water and climbed up the man-made ramp toward the trainer

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After his snack, the stingray stayed to be stroked by the trainer a few times

The giant stingray even stayed on after its snack to be pet a few times, delighting the tourists recording the video. 

Known for their barbed tail, which they usually use to capture their prey, stingrays can also be harmful to humans if a person is stung.

The cartilaginous fish eat a variety of foods, such as sea worms, shrimp, clams and soft-shelled animals.

The Maldives are known for stingrays and many tour companies offer opportunities to feed and swim with the animals.

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The man fed the stingray several times by hand while on-lookers filmed 

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Stingrays are known to eat a variety of foods, such as sea worms, shrimp and clams