
There can be few more terrifying sights in the world than a shark grinning greedily at you.

But American marine biologist Chris Perkins has captured the underwater predator in all its glory in a series of stunning images.

The stillness of the water gives an eerie insight into the stealth these apex predators use when breaching the ocean waves in search of their next meal.

The perfectly composed image appears to show the great white shark smiling as it hungrily sizes up its prey

The 25-year-old captured the images in Gansbaai in South Africa.

In other photos captured in his series, Perkins, from East Hampton in Connecticut, show the great white in the poses we've come to associate them with - baring its teeth as it glides in to demolish its prey.

Dauntingly, the terrifying creature looks like it is coming straight for the camera as it propels itself through the water, and out of it.

Magnificent: The marine biologist has been in South Africa since late 2012, and has captured a series of incredible images of great white sharks

Simply terrifying: Marine biologist Chris Perkins photographed the great white shark in South Africa, where it appears intent on devouring everything in its path

Blue-eyed killer: Perkins has noted one intriguing characteristic of white sharks - their eye colour, which most people expect to be black

Perkins has been working in South Africa since late 2012 as a researcher at the Shark Bay Research Trust.

The keen photographer has spent plenty of time coming face-to-face with the deadly underwater predators, and has noticed one intriguing characteristic about them - their eye colour.

In a blog post, he wrote that most people expect their eyes to be black.

With their sharp teeth and ferocity, great whites have gained notoriety from Stephen Spielberg's 1974 film Jaws

'In fact,' he wrote, 'if you were given the opportunity to look into a white shark’s eyes, you’ll find that they are a lovely shade of deep violet to dark blue.

'Why, you might be asking yourself, would their eyes be blue?

'Before that, you might be asking why would I even notice this? Well, the answer to the first is we don’t know.

'For the second, I take a lot of pictures of white sharks; you learn to notice the little things. Don’t judge me.'

The stunning series of photographs took Perkins face-to-face with great white sharks, which are among the most dangerous of hunters in the ocean

In his role as a marine biologist studying sharks in South Africa, keen photographer Chris Perkins (right) has had plenty of opportunities to photograph the sea predators up close and personal

Great white sharks can move up to 35mph in small bursts, making them a formidable underwater predator

Sharks tend to search in low light, meaning their eyes are particularly sensitive as they seek out their prey

It takes an incredibly brave photographer to come face-to-face with sharks.

One renowned snapper who also has plenty of experience in this field is 50-year-old Fiona Ayrst, who has been photographing underwater for 30 years.

She has taken a series of photos of tiger sharks - known as 'the hoover of the sea' when she dived in Aliwal Shoal, Scottburgh in South Africa.

The tiger shark stares into the lens of photographer Fiona Ayrst, who is one of the most renowned and experienced underwater photographers in the world

Ayerst said: Fiona said: 'I just love getting as close as I can to tiger sharks. Their faces look like massive marshmallows approaching you.

'They are incredibly beautiful and curious.'

And the photographer continued: 'If something is moving and alive they generally try to stay out of its way.

Tiger sharks are known as the hoovers of the sea, and is pictured coming toward Fiona in a dive in South Africa

'Never try to play dead if a tiger shark approaches you.

'Tiger sharks very seldom bump into people, when you are diving with sharks there is a lot of heightened senses and all the animals in the water are all very much aware of what is going on.

'The fish are perhaps the most vulnerable as the sharks and humans are both apex predators.

'I am glad I am not a fish, although at times I do wish I had gills.'

Tiger sharks - which the photographer says look like 'massive marshmallows' are nocturnal, solitary hunters which consume a broad range of food