Fishermen rescued an injured sunfish after it swam into shallow waters off the coast of the Philippines.

The locals discovered the wounded marine animal when it waved its fins above the sea surface near a port in Ormoc City, Leyte province early morning on June 15.

The anglers waded into the shore and tried to push the stranded 7ft-long sunfish back into the sea but the creature kept swimming back towards them. They checked closer only to fing that its tail was wounded.

The residents called the City Agriculture Office (CAO) for help. Upon arrival, officers measured the sunfish, which weighed around 220 lbs.

They later managed to gently nudge the sunfish back into the ocean.

Irish Belmonte, section head of the CAO Fishery Research and Development Section, said: 'The sunfish was found near the Bagsakan Centre at Ormoc Bay. We are monitoring the situation in case it comes back and becomes stranded again.'

Mola mola, or ocean sunfish, are commonly found in tropical oceans. They are the heaviest of all bony fish, capable of weighing nearly 5,000 pounds. The harmless marine creatures are also known to be curious, and will often approach nearby divers.