Kind fishermen helped to release a whale shark that was trapped in their net.

The trawlers were pulling their haul when they spotted the 13ft-long marine creature struggling to move among the fish in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Thailand on October 26.

Footage shows the fishermen jumping into the cold water to make an opening for the animal to swim away.

Some of their catch escaped in the process but fisherman Yutthachai said it was fine as long as the whale shark was unhurt.

He said: ‘What's important was to save the creature. We understood its importance in the environment and we wanted to help.'

The whale shark was seen pulling away from the boat after being rescued by the trawlers.

Whale sharks are listed as endangered globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature for their rapidly decreasing population.

Bycatch from the industrial fishing industry is one of the biggest threats to the majestic marine animals.