Photo shows sea lion apparently eating leopard shark near Alcatraz

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - A woman was boating in the Bay on Sunday when she came across what she's calling a "National Geographic moment." 

Tori Gorman had volunteered to drive an inflatable rescue boat to provide water safety to swimmers from the South End Rowing Club. The swimmers were celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a swim from Coughlan Beach - which is near St. Francis Yacht Club - to Aquatic Park. 

The swimmers had finished the race and Gorman was cruising around the Bay near Alcatraz when something caught her eye. 

Off in the distance, she saw something thrashing in the water. Upon closer inspection she determined it appeared to be a sea lion eating a leopard shark. 

Gorman, who admits she's usually scared of sharks, feels lucky to witness the moment. 

"I stopped and watched... I was amazed.. you can see the inside of the guts. It was interesting to see the sea lion dominating the shark," she said. 

She had her phone close by, and was able to capture photos of the unusual sighting. 

Marine Mammal Center staff veterinarian Dr. Cara Field told the SFGATE sometimes sea lions will feed on small shark species when the opportunity arises.