Lucky seal escapes great white shark's jaws in amazing picture

This is the moment a lucky seal escaped certain death - avoiding a great white shark's jaws by inches.

The giant great white burst from the water only for the seal to bounce off the tip of its nose high into the air.

On the way down, the hungry shark snapped, missing the airborne mammal by the smallest of margins.

The incredible moment was captured by underwater photographer Sergio Riccardo, 51, who photographed the scene near Cape Town, South Africa.

Due to the dense population of seals on Seal Island, just a few kilometres from Cape Town, the location is a prime feeding location for great whites.

Sergio, from Sorrento, Italy, told Caters News: "The boat began to follow the seals back to Seal Island where there are around 70,000 seals.

"During this process the seals are often the subject of attacks by great white sharks.

"They launch themselves from underneath the seal, knocking it above the surface and snapping the mammal in their mouths.

"The speed with which the sharks attack brings them to jump completely out of the water.

"I was glad to see the seal escape on this occasion."

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