Manta rays leap 9ft out of water into the air @ they're FLYING!!

They could be mistaken for strange-looking birds but these creatures are actually manta rays, leaping a staggering nine feet in the air.

The plucky animals, which measure just over three feet wide, demonstrate their acrobatic skills by bursting out of the water.

Once airborne they to flap their impressive fins in what looks like an attempt to fly.

And, if they're feeling particularly playful, some even manage a somersault before plummeting back into the water with an impressive splash.

Photographers Roland and Julia Seitre captured the spectacle off the coast of Costa Rica, Central America.

The French couple had sailed six miles out to sea in the hope of catching sight of some whales but were also treated to this extraordinary rare acrobatic display.

Mr Seitre said: 'The males jumped clear out of the water, up to three metres [9ft] high.

'They flapped their wings during the few seconds of flight, before hitting the surface with a loud banging noise.

'Some think it is a way to attract female attention as we saw pairs close by.

'Numerous males take off and land one after another.

'The bangs are so loud it's like you're being close to a hunting party with guns.

'Occasionally one seems to have even more fun by doing a somersault.

'This kind of behaviour is extremely unpredictable and incredibly rare to witness.

'We were so lucky, it was a complete coincidence that we were there in the first place.'

He added: 'These manta rays are beautiful.

'Their large wing-shaped bodies and slow motion make them excellent sea gliders.

'They not only impress with their size but also with their very elegant flight into the blue oceans.'

Super- Friendly Beluga whales take a diver by the hands for a tour under Artic ice!

It is not the most welcoming place on Earth. But even in the Arctic you can find a friendly face willing to show you around.

These remarkable pictures show how beluga whales help human visitors to swim under the thick ice.

When dive teams drill through the frozen surface of the White Sea off the north-west coast of Russia, they are greeted by grinning belugas.

Under the water two belugas lead a diver by delicately taking his hands in their mouths and pulling him through the icy darkness.

Photographer Andrey Nekasov, 38, from Odessa, Ukraine, visited the White Sea - off the Barents sea on the north-west coast of Russia - which is popular for spotting pods of the all-white swimming mammals.

Some of the whales in the area were formerly captive but reintroduced to the wild after being rehabilitated.

Curious by nature, the whales greet dive teams as they cut dive holes into the thick Arctic ice by popping their heads out.

Once underwater, divers often get to play games with the whales as they explore and seemingly show off to their guests.

'The White Sea is a whale sanctuary and belugas have been released here from zoos and marine parks,' Mr Nekasov said.

'They are breeding well and there are many babies.'

Belugas have 40 small conical teeth which they use to grasp fish.

The photographer added: 'With this diver they were gripping his hand very gently and pulling him along. It was a lot of fun.

'The whales are really interested in what's going on around them and they use their mouths a lot to feel things.'

Andrey added: 'Diving with the belugas is really popular because they are so friendly. When we are preparing to dive they pop their heads out and watch everyone getting ready.

'It's like they are beckoning you in to come and play.'

Let Tigerman shows you how to handle a tiger..just give them TRUST, respect and LOVE

These pictures of tiger man John Wagenaar might give you paws for thought - as he smiles to the camera while a giant 300kg Siberian tiger licks his head.

More astounding photos show how the big cat whisperer is able to stand and support two tigers with a combined weight of over 500kg with his arms - as he bottle feeds them.

Through his unique 'love training' fearless John is even able to let a huge Bengal tiger female take a cat nap laying on top of him - using his head as a rest for her massive chin.

Working at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve near Johannesburg, South Africa, big cat lover John is a firm believer in reward-based training of animals.

Most handlers of predators live in fear of the day when they trip over in an enclosure and end up beneath the animals in a submissive position - and vulnerable to an attack.

But John, 35, seems fearless as he rolls around on the ground with some of the biggest cats in the world.

He said: 'Through my love training I am able to do things with these animals that others simply cannot.'

'There are many keepers out there who use sticks and punishment to make the animals submit to them.'

'Because of this the keepers don’t trust the animals and the animals don’t trust the keepers. That’s a very dangerous way to manage a relationship between yourself and a cat weighing 300kg.'

Using chunks of meat and bottled milk, John continually rewards good behaviour exhibited by the 20 tigers at the reserve.

But John says his relationship with the potentially lethal animals is key to getting close.

Apollo, the massive five-year-old male licking John’s head was hand-reared by him and thinks John is a parent.

'He thinks I’m his dad' said John. 'He’s grooming me just like he would another cat and this behaviour displays the level of trust we have for each other.'

'I’m not afraid when I go into situations like this but I am cautious.'

'You have to have total respect for the fact that the Siberian tiger is the biggest cat in the world and he’s designed to kill. I’ve got the scars to prove it.'

'But it’s all about your approach and judgement of when and when not to interact with them.'

'Just as cats in the wild do not continually interact with each other, you must bear in mind the same principle.'

'We are strong believers in observing the energy around the cats. Through experience we know when they are in a happy mood and would enjoy to play or some mental stimulation.'

Alice, a five-year-old Bengal tiger weighs 200kg and was also hand-reared by John. She is so comfortable with him she happily snoozes laying on top of him.

'She sees me as a potential mate,' said John. “She tried to shepherd me away from other cats so she can have me all to herself.”

Thor, 250kg and Helen, weighing 180kg, are sibling Siberians both aged three years.

John said: 'I am the only person in the world who can stand supporting two adult tigers on each arm. I believe this is a huge testament to the work that we are doing and the state of mind of our cats.'

'I hate punishment training and much prefer to reward the animals for safe behaviour. I dislike circus where animals are conditioned to perform on command or face the consequences.'

'The way I work is more about going in and interacting with the cats.'

John’s love affair with cats began when he was just nine years old when his mum bought him a tabby domestic cat.

John said: 'All of the tigers were rejected at birth and we have taken them in to go give them a safe and healthy life.'

'You can see that they are in tip top condition and that fills me with pride because its down to the way we look after them.'

'Cats in captivity often end up overweight, bored and die of heart attacks.'

'What I am doing with these animals is not about performing tricks. It’s about keeping them stimulated and active as part of our animal enrichment programme.'

'If one of our tigers climbs for a reward, it is using its claws and muscles just as it should do in the wild. All credit should go to the cats for allowing me to interact with them like this.'

'None of the tigers can ever return to the wild as they have no fear of man and could not fend for themselves. But I hope that we are giving them the best life possible given their circumstances.'

'All of our cats are part of an international breeding programme. They are not being looked after in their native countries where they are killed for their fur or for aphrodisiacs.'

Anyone dare to swim beside a shark just for challenge?...This lady does..BRAVE>>

Fearless is one word for it, crazy another.

But for thrill-seeker Ashley Futral, swimming with sharks was the ultimate way to push the boundaries.

The sportswoman was captured encountering almost a dozen of the deadly creatures 20 miles off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Even pausing to touch the nose of one of the 10ft-long Sand Tiger Sharks, the 27-year-old, kept her nerve having swum more than 100 times with the toothy beasts

Taking advantage of the artificial reef created by the sinking of two copper dredgers, she has been perfecting the Zen like meditation techniques needed in free diving, having only taken up the sport three years ago.

Miss Futral, who is able to hold her breath for five minutes, had had no experience of ocean diving before she began her steep learning curve in free-diving.

She is able to confidently swim with sharks that can grow to 12ft long.

Sand sharks, also known as sand tigers and grey nurse sharks, are large-bodied and display a mouthful of sharp teeth that protrude in all directions, even when the mouth is shut.

Despite their ferocious appearance, they are a docile, non-aggressive species, known to attack humans only when bothered first.

It is for this reason that divers try to gauge the mood of the animals.

‘I have swum with these sharks and other swirling Amberjack fish repeatedly and I feel comfortable in their presence and I think that they are comfortable with me,’ said Miss Futral who owns her own free diving firm in Wilmington.

‘Of course I wouldn't treat them with any disrespect as they are still sharks and deadly creatures, but these sharks in particular are sharks whose behaviour I feel I understand enough.

‘And with my breathing relaxation techniques from my free-diving I am also not in a panicked state when they observe me, with aids me in giving the sharks a positive impression.’

Look how a 40-ton NAUGHTY whale damage a yacht!

A couple out on a quiet boating trip off the coast of South Africa got the shock of their lives when they were suddenly joined on deck by a 40-ton southern right whale.

Yacht skipper Ralph Mothes, 59, is seen in this amazing photograph dwarfed by the whale as it breaches right next to his yacht Intrepid.

A split-second after the picture was taken the 30ft-long whale slammed into the deck, snapping the steel mast like a twig and crushing the coach roof and side rigging.

Southern rights, an endangered species, can grow up to 50ft long and weigh 60 tons, so this one was probably a youngster.

A tourist from Botswana who was aboard a nearby sightseeing boat captured the before and after shot.

Mr Mothes and his girlfriend and business partner Paloma Werner, 50, took cover as the whale thrashed about on deck before slipping back into the water.

Today the pair were thankful that they were aboard a steel-hulled training yacht, which didn't suffer any structural damage. A fibreglass vessel would have been destroyed.

The incident happened at Hermanus, a popular destination around 80 miles east of Cape Town.

Recalling their close call with the forces of nature, Miss Werner said: 'It really was quite incredible but very scary. The whale was about the same size as the boat.

'We'd spotted it about 100 metres away and thought that was the end of it. Then suddenly it was right up beside us.

'I assumed it would go underneath the boat but instead it sprang out of the sea. We were very lucky to get through it, as the sheer weight of the thing was huge.

'There were bits of skin and blubber left behind, and the mast was wrecked. It brought down the rigging too.

'Thank goodness the hull was made of steel and not fibreglass or we could have been ruined.'

The shaken couple, who are experienced seafarers with the Cape Town Sailing Academy, used their engine to get back to shore in Table Bay.

There were reports that the whale had been harassed by pleasure craft before it leapt onto the Intrepid. An inflatable craft had been seen driving close to the animal moments before the incident.

But experts say the young whale was more likely inexperienced with human contact and didn't know the yacht, which had its engine turned off, was there.

Miss Werner said she first saw the whale when it was about 100m away. It breached once and, before they knew it, the whale was a mere 10m from their yacht.

'There was hardly any wind, so we couldn't get out of the way,' she said. 'We didn't have time to take any evasive action.'

Witnesses said the whale had been seen hitting it's tail on the water, and many thought it was being aggressive.

But Ms Thorton said the whale was probably 'lob-tailing' in order to communicate with other whales.

Piranha alike and other unique deep-sea fish discovered at 1,500 metres under the sea!

these amazing pictures of creatures of the deep sea have been captured by scientists working at record low underwater levels underneath the Great Barrier Reef.

Experts from the University of Queensland's brain institute in Australia used high-tech cameras to glimpse at life almost 1,500 metres under the sea.

Marine biologist Justin Marshall, who led the team, said prehistoric six-gilled sharks, giant oil fish and swarms of crustaceans were among the species captured on camera.

But they also filmed and took photos of many unidentified fish at the site of Osprey Reef, 220 miles North-East of Cairns, in Australia.

Professor Marshall said: 'We simply do not know what life is down there and our cameras can now record the behaviour and life in Australia's largest biosphere, the deep-sea.'

The team of scientists captured the sea creatures using special low-light sensitive, custom designed remote controlled cameras, which sat on the sea floor.

They spent 10 days filming in the deep-sea last month and say the findings could be useful for researchers working in other scientific fields.

All the sea creatures live in a dark world where the pressure is 140 times greater than on land, but are well adapted to their environment.

Professor Marshall said: 'They are slow moving, efficient swimmers because they exist in a world where food is sparse and they need to conserve energy.

'Some of these animals that live in the deep ocean only feed once or twice a year. It's not like you've got salmon rushing about or tuna flying past at high speed.'

Many species had also evolved to produce their own light because sunlight fails to penetrate more than 800 metres beneath the sea surface.

They produce light similar to a firefly and use it as a defence mechanism, to communicate and to see.

Professor Marshall said it would be years before scientists would be able to say if any of the creatures captured on film were new species.

He said: 'There will certainly be animals there that we didn't know were there, but whether there will be any new species for science, I'm not sure yet.

'But it is very often the case with these kinds of expeditions that you do find new life.'

Caught a 5lb, 16ins goldfish?...What a MIRACLE

Nick Richards was bowled over when he reeled in this 5lb goldfish.

The 16-year-old angler was amazed to have caught the massive orange specimen while fishing at a local lake.

It is likely the 16 inch fish was released into the water after outgrowing its tank - and has apparently thrived in its new environment.

Schoolboy Nick was fishing for common carp when he noticed a flash of colour under the surface of the water and pointed his rod in its direction.

Moments later he had the goldfish, which is a type of carp usually found in fairgrounds and garden ponds, hooked on the end of the line.

It is thought Nick's catch, which he placed back in the water after taking this photograph, is the biggest in the UK.

Recalling the one that didn't get away, he said of the lake in Poole, Dorset: 'I'd heard rumours there might be some big carp there and thought I'd see for myself.

'I was there for two days running and caught some big common carp.

'Then suddenly I saw this big orange fish cruising along the top of the lake.'

Nick, who is from Camberley, Surrey, and was on holiday in Dorset when he caught the goldfish, continued: 'It wasn't too much trouble to reel it in.

'At first I thought it must be a really fat Koi carp, but when I saw it properly I realised it was a common goldfish - just like one you might keep as a pet.

'The only difference was that it was massive. It weighed 5lb when I put it on the scales.

'I can only think that it had got too big for someone's tank or pond and the owner had  dumped it in the lake.

'It looked like it was healthy and in good condition. The lake is sheltered with plenty of food, so it's doing pretty well.'

Rottweiler gets stuck making desperate escape for foods and......air

With desperation in its eyes, this neglected pet dog is stuck in a six-inch hole after attempting to make a frantic bid for freedom.

The Rottweiler-cross was left without food, water or fresh air for two days when her owner went partying with friends.

In a dash for freedom, distressed Bounce tried to squeeze through a small tumble dryer vent, only to become trapped.

Neighbours who spotted her forlorn face sticking out of the brickwork alerted the RSPCA who freed the pet with the help of firefighters.

Shocked inspectors found the flat, in Luton, Bedfordshire, filthy with faeces in every room.

Disgraced owner Montgomery Wandera, 24, was banned from keeping pets for the next five years after admitting neglect at Luton Magistrates' Court yesterday. He was also handed a 12-month community order of 100 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £500 costs.

Prosecutor Mark Jones told magistrates that Wandera disappeared for two days to go away with friends in January leaving Nikita with no food, water or fresh air.

Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Mel Fisher said it was unacceptable case of wilful neglect.

She said: ‘The owner failed in his duty of care for the dog as it was left unattended for two days and had its head caught in the same hole on a previous occasion.

‘We just hope this case sends out the message to the public that under no circumstances can animals be left to fend for themselves, and it is not acceptable to leave them unattended for long period of times.

After making a full recovery, Bounce was been re-homed with a new loving family.

A Japan dolphin desperate bid to escape from its captivity

This startling footage shows the dramatic moment a dolphin suddenly leapt out of its tank in a desperate bid to escape captivity.

The dolphin, a species known as the false killer whale, had been taking part in a marine show at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in southwestern Japan when it jumped on to the floor near its tank.

A U.S. tourist who was among spectators at the event shot the video footage and sent it to the former dolphin trainer for the 'Flipper' TV show.

Ric O'Barry, 70, who now makes a career out of freeing dolphins, said the video highlights the cruelty the animals suffer while in captivity.

The footage shows the stricken dolphin, called Kuru, lying on the floor as staff desperately wrap it in a mat and use a crane to lift it back into the water.

The other dolphins in the tank appear to be distressed and gathered around the side where the creature leapt out.

Mr O'Barry said: 'The habitat of that false killer whale is so unnatural it leapt out in desperation.

'It wanted to end it. Why does a person jump out of a building?'

Hideshi Teruya, who manages the dolphin section at the park, said it suffered minor scratches and bruises on its head and fin, but had a healthy appetite for mackerel and squid after it was returned to the tank.

He said: 'It was playing around and jumped out by accident from the momentum.'

Kuru, which means 'black' in the local dialect, was captured six years ago in the seas around Okinawa.

Mr Teruya denied the captivity was cruel and said the tank was not overcrowded and followed aquarium guidelines.

But Mr O'Barry said the guidelines were inadequate and that dolphins were used to roaming for many miles a day, not swimming in a circle and doing flips at shows.

He added that keeping them in a concrete box was cruel because it bombarded them with strange sounds and deprived them of their key sensory skill.

He said: 'It proves that captivity doesn't work. They are free-ranging creatures with a very large brain.

'They're self-aware and putting them in a small tank in a stadium setting is abusive.'

Mr O'Barry featured in a film about Japanese dolphin hunting - The Cove - in which he attempted to stop the slaughter of the animals for food in the town of Taiji.

Trainer almost mauled by White Bengal tiger while playing!

A wildlife park worker had a lucky escape after slipping during a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a giant Bengal white tiger.

A crowd of onlookers held their breath as the park worker narrowly escaped a mauling after falling over while running from the fearsome beast.

The dramatic scene was captured during a daily 'tiger splash' event at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park, in Arizona, U.S.

Park worker Jeff Harwell participates as the prey during a daily routine with the cats, where they chase an inflatable toy being held by him.

The tigers are usually so excited about capturing and popping the toy they do not harm the park workers.

The workers then jump into a pool with the tiger at the end of the game.

But this time Mr Harwell slipped over on the wet grass - and found himself between the two-year-old white tiger called Chalet and his inflatable toy.

Thinking quickly, Mr Harwell managed to throw the toy into the pool, distracting the young tiger.

Chalet leapt in to the pool after the toy, as Mr Harwell scrambled to his feet.

Gasps of horror were heard from the audience.

But Mr Harwell - who was unharmed in the incident - continued to play with the tigers.

The tigers who are not being trained to perform tricks at the park but are playing these games to tap into their natural instincts.

Wildlife photographer Kathleen Reeder, who took the pictures said: 'It's an unbelievable event to watch and even more unbelievable when situations like this occur.

'The reaction of the crowd was nothing less than jaw dropping.

'We could tell Jeff's fall was unexpected and that he could easily be injured if he didn't react instantaneously.

'The other park workers were ready to jump in to help and watched intently while he reacted swiftly.

'Without missing a step, Jeff successfully diverted the tiger's attention, and the show went on as though this is all part of the event.

'The tigers are treated with a lot of loving care, so the workers are more like friends and the tigers have no reason to intentionally hurt them.