A canoeist had a terrifying close encounter with an orca when the massive predator appeared to charge directly at them, according to footage.

The black-and-white whale was seen slicing through the water toward the paddler near the shoreline off the coast of Argentina, in a video shared online on Monday.

The lone canoeist then moves frantically through shallow surf, moments before the mammal suddenly veers away and heads back out to sea. 

Conservationists identified the orca as a male named Pao, also known as PTN-006 for tracking purposes.

Wildlife group Peninsula Valdes Orca Research, which shared the footage, said it believed the whale was likely drawn in by the sound of the paddles striking the water and may have mistaken the canoeist for prey.

The researchers said the whale turned around after realizing the object in the water was a person in a canoe.

Experts say wild orca attacks on humans are considered extraordinarily rare.

According to the research center, there have been no confirmed cases and nearly all documented aggressive incidents have involved captive whales.

The organization emphasized that there are 'no records of orca attacks on human beings except in captivity.'

'We can only imagine the fear this person must have felt,' a spokesman for the group added.

No injuries were reported in the incident near Bahia Rosas in the Golfo San Matias.

The footage quickly spread online.

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are apex predators capable of hunting seals, dolphins and even great white sharks. Adult males can grow up to 32 feet long and weigh more than ten tons.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Peninsula Valdes Orca Research for comment.