Incredible video of moment great white shark attacks large seabird near SA’s Neptune Islands

The extraordinary moment a great white shark leapt from the water off SA’s coast to grab a seabird trying to steal its food has been caught on video.

An Adelaide man has told how a shark leapt from the water to grab a large seabird while he was on a charter tour near the entrance to Spencer Gulf.

Benjamin Kessler, 29, earlier this month booked the tour, which left from Port Lincoln, to go swimming with sharks in a cage, 70km away near the Neptune Islands.

Mr Kessler said a tour leader fed tuna to the great whites sharks during the afternoon, which drew the attention of a southern giant petrel.

“There were a few birds in the area but this one bird, a petrel … it was just scavenging off the tuna tail,” he said.

“The shark actually gave the bird two warnings prior to the final result, so (it) actually nudged the bird twice.

“The bird persisted. Then the shark came and took the bird out.”

This hungry southern giant petrel could be seen in the water in the lead-up to the attack. Picture: Benjamin Kessler

The shark leapt from the water and grabbed the bird. Picture: Benjamin Kessler

Mr Kessler, a teacher, said the shark killed the bird but did not eat it.

“He spat it out … it was purely territorial,” he said. “It just happened instantly.”

He said the attack did not deter him from entering the shark cage a short time later.

“I was even more excited after that,” he said. “I wanted to get it and have a closer look!”

Mr Kessler captured several videos of the bird, posting them to social media.