Migrants ran into the water to board a dinghy on the French coastline before setting off across the English Channel.
Pictures and video captured by the PA news agency show dozens of people sprinting in shallow water before climbing onto a boat at Gravelines beach on Thursday morning.
French authorities in an inflatable boat out at sea approached the overcrowded dinghy, passing those on board lifejackets.
No police were seen on the beach when the groups of people came out of the sand dunes and attempted to board the black inflatable boat.
PA first saw one boat drop off several men at around 5am, who went into the sand dunes, before a second boat came close to shore, circling until the migrants appeared on the beach.
The people, including a family with two children, put themselves into groups before trying to climb onto the boat.
Around 40 people, believed to be about half of the full group, left on the dinghy.
More than 22,500 people have arrived in the UK after making the journey across the Channel so far this year.
