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A terrified seal in danger of being eaten by circling killer whales made a cunning escape - by diving on to a holidaying family’s dinghy.

Footage, filmed in Desolation Sound, British Columbia, Canada, shows the terrified mammal sheltering on the boat much to the annoyance of at least three predators seen hunting for it.

On the video a member of the American family can be heard saying: “What’s going to happen if the whales come?

“Oh my God.”

Another adds: “They’re looking, they’re just like, where did he go?”

A woman then adds: “I feel bad for him. Sometimes you root for the whale and sometimes you root for the seal.”

Unbeknown to the whales the seal had taken refuge on the dingy which was being towed by the unknown family’s bigger boat.

It had pulled itself on to the front seat where it happily lay as the frustrated Orcas hunted for more than 20 minutes.

The clever escape paid off for the seal who made his way back into the water after the whales had gone.

Killer whales are renown for their ability to hunt down seals, working together to catch and kill their prey.

Scientists have found Orcas to have a 75 per cent success rate in catching their quarry.

They also discovered killer whales, which grow to around 28ft in length and weighing more than six tonnes, carefully butcher the prey underwater, cooperating as they skin and dissect the seals.