A Darwin man has stumbled upon two venomous sea creatures locked in each other’s jaws.

On 27 August, spear fisherman Rick Trippe discovered a sea snake and a stonefish while diving in Darwin Harbour. Both were biting each other.

• Rare ‘living fossils’ we thought extinct are being found
• Earth to Mars: NASA’s bold experiment
• Giants from the abyss still haunt our planet

He scooped the feuding pair into his boat with his bare hands for a closer look. Naturally.

“I knew this was dangerous,” Mr Trippe told the BBC. To prevent injury, he grabbed the snake under its mouth.

“I knew if I grabbed it I wouldn’t get the bitten.”

It seems the snake won the battle, though it might have been a pyrrhic victory, as stonefish are one of the most venomous fish in the world.

The fish secrete a powerful neurotoxin from their dorsal fin spines. In one of Mr Trippe’s photos, the fish’s spines can be seen near the snake’s body.