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.
WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .
A chipmunk, with his cheeks full to bursting, has no intention of leaving with an empty stomach .
IN a galaxy far, far away, this collection of stunning interstellar formations will leave you STARSTRUCK .
RAISING his flipper, this two day old seal pup gives a wave to the camera .
A diver looks like a minnow as she swims alongside a gigantic whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet .
Like a scene from a fairytale, THOUSANDS of fireflies create an enchanting glow as they dance in a forest .
Sitting all alone on drift ice in the Arctic Ocean, this lonely little fella looks lost .
A disabled sheep is enjoying a new fleece of life after receiving a specially-designed wheelchair .
STRIKING photos capture nature at its most raw and powerful during Earth’s most electrifying event .
These are the men with one of the most unpleasant jobs in the world .
A proud gorilla mum welcomes her newborn baby western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered species .
An American black bear mimics John Travolta’s famous Saturday Night Fever dance move by hurling its arm in the air .