By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Photographer Yuri Belyaev catches the dramatic moment a seagull narrowly escapes being caught by a pelican


This is the dramatic moment a seagull on the prowl for food almost ends up as dinner itself by getting dangerously close to the gaping bill of a peckish pelican.

Just as it looks set to be swallowed whole it makes an incredible escape to safety and leaves the pelican in a complete flap.


Pelicans usually survive on a diet of fish, crustaceans and squids, but they have been known to eat smaller birds


Stunned photographer Yuri Belyaev, 35, caught the remarkable last ditch escape while on holiday with his friend in Namibia. The West African country is popular with eco-tourists who visit to enjoy safaris and take boat trips to see dolphins. The coastal wetlands are a popular destination for birdwatchers.


The wing span of pelicans can extend up to three metres, roughly three times the wing span of an average adult seagull


With a wing span extending up to three metres, the pelican's diet is usually fish, crustaceans such as prawns and crabs, and squids, but they have been known to eat amphibians and also smaller birds on occasion.

A few years ago, children were horrified to watch a pelican swallow a pigeon in St. James's Park in London.


source: dailymail