DRAMATIC photos show the moment a shark lunged out of the water to try and swallow the a baby seal, which narrowly escaped death.

The images captured the attempted attack in False Bay, South Africa, an area well known to be bustling with baby seals.

Out at sea, just off the coast of South Africa, a small rock called 'seal island' is home to a number of baby seals around the year.

The pups tend to congregate around the rock to protect themselves from predators, who circle the tiny island in hopes of a meal.

When the babies enter the water, they risk being chowed down on by the huge sharks lying in wait.

These incredible photos show the moment after a great white shark circles the small island, building up speed to launch itself at its prey, just after sunrise.

The four metre long creature can be seen leaping out of the calm ocean as a it reaches out, jaws wide, for the defenceless seal.

However, the small pup launches itself away from the predator in a lucky escape.

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The shark used the rising sunlight to disguise itself, going undetected in the imperfect light.

The baby seal was one step ahead and narrowly escapes the chance to become breakfast.

Tourists travel the world to visit shark sighting spots, for a chance to cage-dive and watch the terrifying creatures in their natural habitat.

Last week, an impressive set of photos were captured a lifelong shark enthusiast, showing a shark attempting to chow down on an unsuspecting seagull.

She has previously captured the stunning photo resembling the poster for Jaws last week.

Shark attacks are not uncommon, with one lucky survivor recalling the fear they had when they were attacked.

Despite that, Nikki said that she hopes people see a different side of sharks through her photography.

There have been roughly 74 shark attacks and eight deaths this year and are supposedly on the rise this year following environmental initiatives to protect seals – a key part of a shark's diet.

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