This is the heartwarming moment sailors rescued two turtles tangled in loose fishing nets.

Kindhearted fishermen discovered the hapless sea creatures trapped in floating mesh in the middle of the sea at Pak Phanang Bay in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

Footage shows the anglers hauling their fishing nets back onto the boat when they spotted one of the turtles snarled in the threads on February 6.

They immediately lifted the animal onboard and gently used a knife to cut the net away before releasing it back into the water.

Moments later, as they hoisted another net, they found a smaller turtle wedged inside the mesh.

The fishermen carefully untangled the creature and successfully freed it, returning it safely to the ocean.

Active fishing nets used by fishermen, even when not abandoned, can still pose a serious threat to marine animals when not properly monitored or retrieved.

Sea turtles, dolphins, and other wildlife are often accidentally trapped in these nets, especially when the gear is left in the water for extended periods or becomes dislodged.

Strong currents and rough seas can sweep these nets away from boats, turning them into hazards as they drift through marine ecosystems. While not deliberately discarded, these active-use nets can behave similarly to so-called ghost nets, entangling marine life and damaging sensitive habitats.

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.

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.'