A fisherman helped a pregnant stingray deliver her babies, on a dock in southern Thailand on 28 July.

Ritthichao Chaoaophat caught the mum-to-be stingray while on his boat off the coast of Phang Nga province.

Ritthichao noticed that the marine creature had a bulging stomach and was struggling to move, so took a closer look at it and realised it was trying to give birth.

The fisherman massaged its belly, to help it give birth, before throwing the little ones and then their mother, back into the sea.

He said: "The mother stingray appeared to be struggling because it had already swallowed the hook. When I found out it was pregnant I decided to free its babies."

Despite the apparently heartwarming effort however, experts say that pregnant rays often undergo trauma-induced abortions when caught and that fishers should immediately release them back into the water rather than 'help' them give birth, which is quite likely to be fatal to their young.

This is the heartwarming moment a fisherman helped a mother stingray to give birth in southern Thailand.

Ritthichao Chaoaophat caught a pregnant stingray while he was on his boat sailing off the coast of Phang Nga province.

Ritthichao noticed that the marine creature had a bulding stomach and was struggling to move so took a closer look at it and realised it was trying to give birth.

The kind fisherman helped deliver baby stingrays from the mother after massaging its belly and released the family back into the see.

He said: ‘The mother stingray appeared to be struggling because it had already swallowed the hook. When I found out it was pregnant I decided to free its babies.’