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.
Primed and ready for action, this collection of striking images from the battlefield could be mistaken for authentic photos taking during World War II .
A cheeky chipmunk offers some of his spare food, before deciding against the idea and shoving the extra peanut into his already crammed mouth .
POWERFUL bolts of lightning illuminate the night sky in an incredible autumn storm over the Sardinian coastline .
WRAPPED up in classy headscarves, these adorable pooches are the picture of sophistication .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .
A soap bubble lands on the frosty ground and creates a shimmering snow globe as crystals form around it .
THIS is the EXPLOSIVE moment when a 50 metre high pylon came crashing down to earth in a rural field .
A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post .
ARMED with her camera, bikini and flippers, this brave diver goes swimming with SHARKS .
SOARING at 112 miles per hour through the air, this petite blonde certainly lives up to her title as the fastest flying woman in the world .