The shocking moment when a whale has almost swallowed a sea lion

"I've seen a lot of incredible things, something like this," said marine biologist and photographer Chase Dekker. The young American has managed to capture the impressive image of a sea lion falling into the mouth of a humpback whale.

Dekker took this spectacular photo during a boat trip to sight whales off the Monterey Bay coast in California.

On departure on July 22, Dekker noticed that a group of humpback whales were organizing an anchovy feast.

A poor sea lion did not get out of the way Dekker said in his Instagram account at the scheduled time and finished in the jaws of the whales.

However, the whale never shut the mouth and the sea lion was able to escape after having lived a "moment of Jonah", said Dekker in reference to the prophet who, according to the Bible, would have been swallowed by a "big fish".

"I was delighted because I managed to capture a moment that I will never see again," said Dekker about the shocking image.