LIKE A living balloon this baitball of sardines is ready to burst when threatened by a pointy nosed sailfish. The photographs, taken off the coast of Isla Mujeres, near Cancun, Mexico, show how these water creatures work cooperatively to cut off a portion of a school of sardines swimming close to the seafloor, and drive them to the surface. American photographer Doug Perrine, 60, managed to capture the moment the sailfish manage to herd the bait into a tightly packed ball, ready to pick off for dinner one-by-one. ‘The sailfish took-turns swimming through the bait ball slashing with their bills to kill the fish, which are quickly gobbled up,’ Doug said. ‘Sometimes they light up or change to a bright colour pattern.
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .
RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles .
BURSTING from the water, a beautiful but deadly Sumatran tiger jumps for food in an Indonesian zoo .
THE THOUGHT OF BECOMING shipwrecked on a remote destination would fill most holidaymakers with dread .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
Southern England, the south-west and west Wales have been warned to expect more wild weather, with heavy rain and high tides possibly leading to coastal flooding and travel disruption over the weekend .
A Canadian couple celebrated their engagement by recreating iconic moments from the film The Notebook .
STEPFORD wives from the 1950's and 60's are performing history's most sexist exercise programme .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
DASHING through the snow, this little stoat is on the lookout for a Christmas feast .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .