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This is the breathtaking image of the precise moment a kingfisher dive-bombed into a lake to catch its prey.
The stunning photograph, called "The Blue Flame Dive", was taken by Belgian photographer Koen Cuppens and captures the sheer beauty of the hunting kingfisher.
With great speed and perfect precision, the kingfisher splashes into the lake to strike at a small gold fish. This hungry kingfisher has to eat 60 per cent of its weight in fish every day just to survive.
Koen, 34, who works in an outdoor shop, spotted the Kingfisher hunting in 2008 while he was out fishing in a private estate owned by his parents known as "De Wijers" in Belgium.
The kingfisher dives in for its prey (Picture: Caters)It took Koen several months of early mornings and pain staking preparation to capture the image but his patience finally paid off. The killer kingfisher gobbles up the fish in a split -second making the move extremely difficult to catch on camera, but determined snapper, Koen, managed the tricky task.
He built a hide, and picked a spot to predict where the bird would strike and waited patiently by the lake.
He said "Kingfisher photography is my passion. They continue to fascinate me and I will keep searching for more beautiful images and new ideas. Nature continues to amaze me."
