A dolphin was rescued and freed after becoming tangled in an illegal fishing net off the coast of Brazil.

Footage from the Santa Catarina Environmental Military Police shows them pulling the net to the surface, revealing a struggling dolphin desperately thrashing to free itself off the coast of Florianopolis, a tourist hotspot in the Baia Sul region, on Saturday, September 21.

One of the military police officers pulled the net to the surface before his colleague cut through it with a large military-issue knife.

The clip ends with the dolphin finally being freed and diving as it escapes.

They did not specify where the nets were located but mentioned that their use is a crime in the protected area.

The police seized the net as evidence and are investigating the incident.

Local media reported that 'environmental crime' in Brazil can carry a penalty of up to three years in prison and a hefty fine.