This is the heartwarming moment beachgoers saved a sea turtle tangled in old fishing nets.

The couple were walking along the beach when they came across clumps of fishing net debris scattered along the shore and discovered the sea creature trapped in the mesh in Phetchaburi, Thailand.

Footage shows a woman using a knife to cut through the threads, freeing the turtle. She then released the animal back into the sea.

Ghost nets—often discarded by fishing trawlers—are one of the biggest threats to marine life.

Strong ocean currents can carry ghost nets over long distances, eventually washing them ashore. Severe weather events can also dislodge ghost nets from the seabed or fishing vessels, causing them to drift and ultimately beach.

According to UNESCO's Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution, more than one million marine animals—including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds—are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean. These animals can become entangled in meshes, leading to suffocation, starvation, injury, and death.

Ghost nets also damage delicate marine ecosystems like coral reefs and seagrass beds as they destroy these habitats, preventing the growth of new life.

A 2018 report published in Scientific Reports concluded that ghost nets account for at least 46 percent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. An estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. It is projected that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean.

Lorin Hancock from the World Wildlife Fund said: 'Those abandoned fishing lines and nets that break down never truly go away; they just become smaller pieces of plastic.

'Marine animals mistake this microplastic for food and eat it, which can harm their internal organs, prevent proper feeding, and expose them to toxic chemicals.'