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Wednesday's Final Word
A fisherman has captured the breath-taking moment a ray leapt out of the water while it was being hunted by a hammerhead shark.
Brody Sutton was fishing off the coast of Cape York in Queensland last week when he spotted the shark set its sights on the ray.
He pulled out his camera and began filming as the hammerhead swam through the shallows on pursuit of its prey.
In a stunning moment, the ray propelled itself out of the water in order to evade the clutches of the fierce predator.
The unexpected movement caused the shark to become disoriented and saved the ray’s life.
‘It was great to watch,’ Mr Sutton told Yahoo News. ‘I’ve seen it many times just not that close to the boat.’
Mr Sutton’s jaw-dropping clip has gone viral around the world with commentators as far as the UK and US amazed by the ray ‘taking flight’.
One commented: ‘Never thought I’d see something flying while swimming at the same time!!! Like literally flying under the water!’
A fisherman caught the breath-taking moment a ray propelled itself into the air to avoid a hammerhead shark (pictured)
‘Athlete of the year goes to….. Flying Stingray,’ another remarked.
A third said: ‘That shark was BAMBOOZLED.’
‘Since when could stingrays jump? Or even swim that fast,’ someone else added.
Mr Sutton confirmed the ray evaded the shark for good by seeking shelter under his boat.
‘The ray escaped under my boat,’ he said.
Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist from Humane World for Animals, explained the ray is likely a cownose or mobula ray.
These species are known to use their fins like wings as opposed to a stingray which stays close to the seafloor.
He explained the ray’s flying move helps to break the hammerhead’s line of vision.
‘By quickly exiting the water, it can break that focus that the shark has, and you can tell the predator loses it shortly after because of it,’ Mr Chlebeck explained.
