A tourist has captured the moment when an eagle ray flew out of water to escape the deadly jaws of a hammerhead shark.

Ralph De Bie, from Amsterdam, was near Zapatila Island in Panama during a surf trip with his friends last month when they encountered the dramatic marine battle.

After twisting and turning under and above the water and failing to get away, the stingray resorted to beaching itself to escape the hunter's jaws.

"We were driving the boat back from an epic surf trip and for a tropical pitstop moment we rocked up at the south end of Zapatila Islandm Mr De Bie said.

"Two of us jumped off the boat and seconds later on the other side of the boat we saw the ray jump, with the fin just behind it!