This is the heartwarming moment fishermen released three dolphins trapped in nets in India.

The anglers had accidentally caught the marine creatures while fishing in Kadaladi village in Tamil Nadu's Ramnathapuram District on February 11.

Upon realising they had trapped dolphins and not fish, the men rushed to release them from the nets.

Footage shows the villagers battling to free the entangled cetaceans seen flailing around on the sandy beach.

With the assistance of animal specialists, the fishermen hauled the dolphins off the coast into the deep waters to allow them to swim away.

The dolphins were uninjured, local media reported.

State officials have praised the fishermen's rescue efforts.

Indian Administrative Service officer Supriya Sahu said: 'Local fishermen and Tamil Nadu Foresters safely rescued and released three dolphins accidentally caught in fishing nets at Kakaladi in the Ramnathapuram District. Kudos to them. They will be honoured by the District Administration.'

In contrast to the heroic rescue, several fishermen were condemned for catching and eating an endangered dolphin from the Yamuna River in India last July.

The locals were seen hauling the Gangetic dolphin or South Asian river dolphin on their shoulders as they trudged to their homes in Uttar Pradesh to cook the endangered animal.

One of the fishermen, Ranjeet Kumar, was arrested, while police were hunting down the others. They were all wanted for allegedly violating the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

The Gangetic dolphin population has faced a rapid decline over the past few decades. These magnificent creatures, known for their distinctive large snouts and sharp teeth, have been a part of South Asian rivers since their discovery in 1801.

However, the World Wildlife Fund's recent report paints a grim picture, revealing that there are now fewer than 2,000 Gangetic dolphins remaining in the wild due to habitat fragmentation, by-catch mortality, and targeted hunting.