This is the incredible moment a seal narrowly escaped being chomped by a massive great white shark as it leapt from the water in South Africa earlier this month.

The seals were swimming fast through well-known great white hot-spot Mossel Bay on October 12, when a shark jumped clear from the water in an effort to catch one of the marine mammals.

The dramatic moment caused screams from the crew of the nearby boat of shark researchers.

Great whites favour a surprise attack on their prey, rushing up from beneath them with such speed that they often leap out of the water.