A whale watching tour passenger was left ‘shocked’ after watching a sea lion rip out a blue shark’s throat.

Lori Hespe was on a tour in Monterey Bay, California, USA, on October 20 when she spotted a Steller sea lion hunting in the water.

Epic footage which has been viewed more than 5million times shows the marine mammal crash through the surface of the water with a blue shark crammed in between its jaws.

Using its incredible power, the sea lion thrashed its prey above the ocean with such force that the shark’s throat was ripped out almost instantly.

Lori said: “I have never seen anything like this before in my life. I was absolutely shocked and astounded.

“The attach carried on for approximately three minutes in total before it came to its brutal end.

“Sea lions are opportunistic feeders which means they go for easy meals. That can include squid, herring and even small sharks.

“A Steller sea lion bull can grow to 11 feet long and their weight can range up to 2500lbs in preparation for breeding.

"They are typically much larger than females and possess a raised forehead called the sagittal crest that creates a high peak crown.

"Most adult blue sharks measure up to seven feet and weigh nearly 454lbs so this sea lion would have had a big strength advantage."