Seagull steals fish from seal in Northumberland harbour

A seagull in Warkworth Harbour, Northumberland, swooped on a seal and stole a fish from its mouth. The unusual encounter, photographed on Halloween, shows the bird turning a behaviour often associated with beachgoers’ food towards a seal.

The seal had surfaced for air after catching the fish when the gull divebombed it, prompting a tug-of-war in the water. The gull wrestled the fish free and swallowed it in one gulp; it is not known whether it has targeted seals before.