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.
WIDE EYED with a huge smile across her face, this little elephant is a picture of happiness .
BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .
SLEEPING within touching distance of wild African animals might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing break .
RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
A photographer has captured spellbinding images of stars swirling above the English countryside .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
A little clownfish opens its mouth to reveal a blood sucking intruder living on its tongue .
A makeup artist from the West Midlands magically transforms herself into famous cartoon characters using body paint .
AT first glance these images could easily be mistaken for photographs, but they are in-fact real life drawings created using nothing but coloured pencils .
