I got attacked by seagulls while trying to make a 'cute' video eating lunch on the beach - but people say it's MY fault

A woman who tried to film herself having a 'cute' lunch break on the beach was left mortified after being swarmed by a pack of hungry seagulls. 

Louise Sideras, a student at Southeastern University in Florida, shared the viral video on TikTok earlier this month.

In the 20-second clip, Louise is seen happily balancing a large salad on her legs as she sat alone on a sandy beach.

As she prepares to drizzle her salad dressing over the top, three seagulls appear above Louise's head - while she remains totally oblivious. 

Moments later, the gulls caw directly above her head - resulting in Louise dropping her salad and sprinting away. 

This is the terrifying moment Louise Sideras (pictured), a student at Southeastern University in Florida, had her lunch attacked by seagulls 

Posting the clip on her page, Louise joked: 'I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A CUTE VID EATING MY SALAD AT THE BEACH.' 

The clip has garnered a whopping 24.1 million views and over 20,000 comments in just four days.

Although Louise was clearly spooked by the incident, the video left viewers in hysterics - while others were mystified by how long it took her to spot the seagulls.

One questioned: 'How did you not hear them that close to you?!' 

'I thought you were really just chill having them around,' another added. 

A third said: 'Hahaha I thought you KNEW about the birds until your reaction.' 

Meanwhile, others were more bothered to see Louise's lunch go to waste. 

'I'm sorry, the way you made it so much worse by dropping [the salad] is killing me,' one complained.

Unbeknownst to her, a few seagulls had began circling above her head and before she knew it, four of them swooped downward causing her to scream and run off in horror - dropping her salad in the process

'In this economy, I would have been fighting for that $12 salad,' another chimed in. 

After a third questioned why Louise 'immediately' chucked her salad in the air, she replied: 'I DON'T KNOW WHY. My fight or flight kicked in.' 

Another unsympathetic viewer asked: 'I’m so sorry but why did it take you three business days to realise?'

'This is my worst nightmare' confessed another. 

If you are ever caught in a seagull's crosshairs, scientists have come up with a way to stop them stealing food - by staring them straight in the eye. 

Although Louise was clearly spooked by the incident, people branded the video hilarious, while others blamed her for taking 'three business days' to notice the gulls. Meanwhile others confessed that it was their 'worst nightmare'

Cocky as they appear, seagulls are far less likely to take food when someone is looking at them, researchers have found. 

In a British study of herring gulls using a bag of chips as bait, almost a third of gulls didn't dare to touch it when a person was making eye contact but would when they looked away.

Even those bold enough to try to steal the chips were much more nervous about doing so, with some taking almost five minutes or longer to go up to the food.

The birds may have quickly learned that people who make eye contact are more likely to chase them away, so a warning glance is all that is needed to deter them.

The findings provide a much-needed strategy for holidaymakers, who could keep hold of their pasty or ice-cream cone by simply keeping an eye out for urban gulls.