A mother grey whale moves through the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, her calf at her side.
In the distance, a menacing pod of orcas heads intently towards them.
And then the bloodshed starts. These shocking images show how killer whales will stop at nothing to get their feed - even if it involves attacking their own kind.
The orcas, which weigh about six tons each and measure up to 26 feet, take it in turn to ram headfirst into the calf, almost knocking it out of the water.
Other killer whales leap on top of the young mammal, trying to drown it.
The brutal attack, which took place off the coast of California, in Monterey Bay, lasted an hour and a half before the orcas succeeded in killing the calf.
The predators continued to devour his 20ft body underwater while his mother swam to safety.
Any remaining blubber that floated to the surface was swiftly swooped on and eaten by seabirds.
The attack was one of about 20 that occur in Monterey Bay every year when the grey whale calves and their mothers migrate 6,000 miles from their winter breeding grounds in Baja, California, to Alaska for the summer.
Every year about 15 calves fall prey to killer whales, which lie in wait as they cross the bay's deep canyon.
There are about 20,000 grey whales in the world and although they are not considered an endangered species, wildlife experts are concerned about their numbers.
Killer whales are one of the most predatory species in the world and eat other large mammals including dolphins and seals - and even great white sharks.
They will not usually attack humans, but have injured handlers at marine parks
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