A four-metre-long great white shark was seen on camera attempting to consume the engine on the rear of a boat.

The big marine predator is thrashing in the water and attempting to attack the motor in the video, which was shot off the coast of Western Australia.

As David Tuckfield, his wife Kunya, and their 14-year-old son Shelby watch the shark eat on their boat, terrified cries can be heard.

It fully breaches the water and sniffs the air before sinking its teeth into the boat’s back end and backing away.

Kunya, the one who is yelling, says: “Oh, no! He’s attempting to consume the engine!”

She then tells a reporter from 9News: “My arms are shivering! I’d never seen such a massive shark before.”

On Good Friday (April 15), the family was out fishing on their boat off the coast of Mandurah, south of Perth, when the shark surfaced.

It lingered for an hour before vanishing into the abyss.

“We had a large guest from the depths come up, great size white pointer,” David told 9 News.

“He tried to rip a chunk out of the engine, and we were transfixed.”

“We had a large guest from the depths come up, great size white pointer,” David told 9 News.

“He tried to rip a chunk out of the engine, and we were transfixed.”

“We don’t appreciate them until we see them up close and personal, and it’s their playground,” David added.

He described the shark as a “large majestic beast,” and said that viewing it was the highlight of his Easter weekend.

This follows footage of a diver panicking when a massive ocean beast arrived out of nowhere to seize his prize.