INCREDIBLE footage shows the moment a terrified baby seal tried to jump inside a fishing boat – to escape a pod of ravenous killer whales.
The stunning underwater clip captured the frantic pup desperately trying to seek refuge with two fisherman just off the coast of Eshaness in Shetland.
Filmed using a GoPro camera, the seal is shown circling the boat and bobbing in and out of the sea to peer inside inside.
Dark silhouettes are then spotted in the distance approaching the anxious animal before three killer whales are spotted eyeing up their prey just metres away.
The lone seal continues to stay just inches from the boat as it’s being circled by the hungry orca’s who can weigh up to 3,600 kg and eight metres in length.
Wildlife enthusiast Vivian and Nigel Clark captured the hunt on Sunday afternoon while out fishing.
The brothers from Brae in the Shetland’s branded the footage a ‘right place, right time’ type of moment.
Vivian, 58, said: “It was floating belly up and looked dead, but, as we got a bit closer, it flipped over and came straight to the side of the boat and was trying to get on board.
“The whales were sweeping past the boat at quite a speed, ti seemed as if they were trying to use their wash to get the seal from the boat.
“The wee fellow hid at the stern of the boat behind the outboard leg for a bit while the whales kept circling about.
“We let the boat drift inwards towards the shore to give the deal a chance to make shore.
“We never saw any commotion or blood in the water to indicate they had got the seal – I can only hope he made it.”
Nigel, 55, said: “We seen the killer whales not far from us so we thought we would go in closer to take some photos.
“The fact they we caught them hunting on film is incredible, it’s pretty much as up close and personal to nature as you can get.
“The whales were actually getting a bit too close at one point, they’re such powerful animals, so we decided to make it back to shore.
“It really was one of those ‘in the right place at the right time’ moments.”
Killer whales are considered a cosmopolitan species meaning they are found in a variety of different marine environments from the Arctic regions to tropical seas.
Hotspots in Scotland are mainly around the Small Isles and Skye in the Inner Hebrides.
In the summer months pods are regularly spotted around Shetland, Orkney and Caithness.
The predators, known as “opportunists”, hunt a variety of creatures including whale, dolphin and porpoises.
They are usually found in pods of eight and are known as the largest members of the dolphin family.
