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.
Throwing a right hook as he launches onto his opponent with his gnarling teeth at the ready, this is the OTTER-LY ruthless showdown between two otters .
In the calm waters of Greenland, gigantic icebergs dwarf everything around them .
A man who conned tax officials out of £34 million and funded a lavish lifestyle of luxury hotels and restaurants has been jailed for one of the longest sentences in British criminal fraud history .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
TUGGING on the wing of his sibling, this needy owl is after some attention .
A young orangutan comes over all shy as she hides her face behind a broken bucket .
SAT with his arms folded and a cross look on his face, this Gorilla looks like he's had enough of the Christmas holidays already .
A GLOWING range of greens and blues sweep across the sky in a spectacular display of light .
WITH the phosphorescent blobs and mesmerising patterns, these spectacular images may look like the hall marks of an enchanted forest but it is in fact the scene of thousands of dancing FIREFLIES .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
Gigantic 100ft waves create the perfect playground for dare-devil surfers from across the world .
STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin .