A great escape! Seal leaps onto rocks to avoid being hunted down by pod of killer whales

This is the heart-stopping moment a terrified seal narrowly avoided a pod of killer whales.  

Footage captured the stranded seal leaping out of the water at Lerwick Harbour, Shetland, Scotland, on Saturday, as two orca whales circled the marine mammal. 

The video shows two dorsal fins poking above the water as the whales circle just feet away from the seal.

A dorsal fin of an orca whale is seen poking above the water as it spots a seal  at Lerwick Harbour, Shetland, Scotland, on Saturday

Meanwhile an onlooker can be heard shouting ‘it’s going to get him’ before the seal scrambled to safety on nearby rocks.

The lucky seal then manages to make an escape in the opposite direction as the pod swim out to sea.  

The incredible 49-second clip sees the pod swim away empty-handed as onlookers gather along the pathway to see the orcas.     

The seal leaps to safety on the rocks (left) before observing the danger while the orca whales circle beneath it 

The lucky seal is seen perched on the rocks after onlookers feared for the safety of the sea mammal 

Haydn Thomason, from Lerwick, Shetland, captured the footage after he saw people posting on Facebook about the orca sighting and decided to investigate. 

Speaking about the orcas, the masters student said: ‘They frequently visit Shetland so I’ve seen them before but never this close or in hunting mode. 

‘It’s the closest I’ve ever been to them and luckily the sea was so clear so you could watch them torpedo through the water after the seal.

The pod of four orcas are seen swimming out to sea while onlookers watch the incredible creatures  

The 49-second clip sees the pod swim away empty-handed as onlookers gather along the pathway

‘They’re amazing animals and to catch them in a moment like this was unimaginable.

‘I’ve only ever really seen them from a distance and caught their heads and dorsal fins but there we managed to see the entire whale only metres away.’