This is the heartwarming moment a turtle tangled in a discarded fishing net was freed and released back into the ocean.

Fishermen spotted the hapless green sea turtle caught in the nylon mesh along the coast of Panare Beach in Pattani, southern Thailand.

The group immediately set to work, using a knife to carefully cut through the net that had tightly wrapped around the turtle's body on May 28.

After a laborious effort, they managed to untangle the sea creature and gently scraped barnacles off its belly with the knife.

The kindhearted men then released the turtle back into the ocean. The animal did not sustain any injuries from the ordeal.

Ghost nets - often cut loose from fishing trawlers - are one of the biggest threats to marine life.

Thousands of animals suffer from ghost nets, one of the biggest threats to marine life, as well as other debris scattered in the oceans.

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.