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.
A project to create an underwater tribute to the stone Moai statues of Easter Island ended in disaster when 15 replica structures were destroyed after toppling from a boat and into the sea .
SOARING through the air, this is the moment a hungry tawny owl arrives home with dinner .
These adorable pictures show the moment two cuddly red panda cubs take their first look at the outside world and are weighed for the very first time .
PAWS for thought as you feast your eyes on this rare bear bathing session .
SNUGGLING up against their teddy bears, these baby sloths could easily be mistaken for one of the cuddly toys .
TUGGING at his exhausted mum's ears, a beautiful baby orangutan refuses to settle for a nap as he begins a game of peek-a-boo .
A hypnotherapist filmed himself sexually abusing a 19-year-old patient while she was in a trance-like state .
A carefree bear cub reclines in the water with his feet raised in the air .
A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico .
An Indonesian farmer is dragged through muddy water as he clings to the tails of two charging cows .
This cheeky macaque gets up close and personal as he examines the dental hygiene of his fellow primate .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .