Photo of leopard seal and penguin wins World Nature Photography Awards

This is the jaw-dropping second a leopard seal was snapped lunging for a fleeing penguin.

The {photograph}, shot by Amos Nachoum, has received the highest spot at this 12 months’s version of the World Nature Photography Awards.

The beautiful, but haunting footage, give a glimpse into the underwater world within the Antarctic.

Explaining how he captured his successful shot, Nachoum stated: “For hours, I waited for the low tide to reach alongside a shallow lagoon on a distant island off the Antarctic Peninsula.

“Like clockwork, the leopard seal arrived within the lagoon simply earlier than low tide. 

“It put its head within the water and regarded similar to a rock sitting within the receding water. 

“The young Gentoo penguins only dare to enter the water when it is shallow, and when they got close enough to the seal, it turned its head at lightning speed, catching one of the penguins by its feet and taking it to deep water.” 

He then swam parallel to the seal, watching because it swam to open waters.

He defined: “To my shock, it let go of the penguin twice. Each time, the seal chased after the penguin once more, as if it was having fun with the sport.

“The terrified penguin tried to escape as the game continued. But soon, the end came.”

This 12 months’s competitors acquired entries from over 20 international locations in six continents.

As the winner, Nachoum takes residence the title of World Nature Photographer of the Year but in addition takes residence a money prize of $1,000.

This story initially appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced right here with permission.