Unlucky seal leaps out of the sea and straight into the mouth of a waiting great white shark
Brandon Kilbride caught the one-in-a-lifetime photograph off the coast in Seal Island in South Africa
THIS unlucky seal took a wrong turn – after jumping straight into the jaws of a great white shark.
Photographer Brandon Kilbride, 33, captured the moment the shark clamped its teeth down on this bite-sized Cape Fur seal during a guided tour in South Africa.
Standing on a boat only 30 metres away from the attack, part-time lifeguard Brandon was able to capture the shot near Seal Island, despite being caught off guard.
He said: "We were following a group of seals leaving the island and this individual came past us.
"We decided to turn and track the juvenile seal as it returned to the island, and as we turned the shark made its first strike.
"We saw the shark launch itself out of the water, but the seal had managed to spot the shark coming and was trying to avoid it by also jumping into the air.
related stories
"Seals are very agile and can escape and manoeuvre a lot faster than sharks.
"The seal tried to bite the shark on the nose in an attempt to escape, but being on the same path, the shark seems to have pushed through and made a successful kill.
"The shark didn't eat the seal on the surface, so we assumed it took it down and ate it underwater.”
Originally from South Africa, Brandon moved to Manchester and works as a lifeguard and freelance photographer.
He added: “These photos were a total surprise. At certain times of the year these interactions happen intensively, so it's really just a matter of time before you manage to get an image of this nature.
"Sometimes it happens and you get lucky, sometimes it doesn't, but that uncertainty is what brings us back the following year.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368