Footage taken from a speed boat at Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe has captured the moment they were chased by a humongous hippopotamus.

The video was uploaded to Facebook by Michael Varndell who is the managing director of a tour company in Malawi called Malawian Style - Safari and Adventure Holidays. 

It shows the moment the incredibly fast and hungry hippo started to stalk the boat causing a wave of water in its wake. 

As it started to inch closer the boat picked up speed - and just in the nick of time.

The gigantic hippo was filmed launching out of the water just metres from the people on board the boat and crashed back into the water.

The incredible video had already been viewed more than 10,000 times just a few hours after it was posted on Mr Varndell's Facebook page. 

Mr Varndell isn't a stranger to being chased by a hippo.

'On one occasion we were chased by two separate hippos, in two completely separate parts of the river,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 

'To be fair one had a baby but the bottom line is the Kafue is still so raw and wild and undiscovered.

'Normally Hippos would not be aggressive unless they have babies or unless they feel threatened.' 

(dailymail.co.uk)