Brave Danish sailors rescued five whale sharks that were trapped in a fishing net in the remote waters of Papua, Indonesia.

Dramatic footage shows the crew carefully untangling a large net where the massive marine animals were stranded alongside smaller fish.

Moments later, they managed to free the creatures one by one, watching as the giants swam away from their rescuers.

One of the saviours, Emil Rued, said: 'A very remote and isolated place in Papua became our spot to anchor for the night.

'At sunrise, a couple of locals were messing with a big fishing net, and they asked for our help. The language barrier is incredibly large on these sides, but we understood that something big was caught in the net. Something they themselves were not aware of what it was.

'Five whale sharks were tangled tightly in the net with no possibility of escape themselves. We drowned back and picked up our diving gear.'

The rescuers said the situation was tense as they worked underwater, knowing that any delay could cause the animals to suffocate in the net.

Emil continued: 'When the last one escaped, we stayed close to the net to make sure that the accident did not repeat itself. The last escaping whale shark began to sink to the bottom.'

They followed the last shark deep into the murky waters, and at around 40 metres depth, it reportedly began moving its gills, indicating signs of life.

The whale shark is the largest species of fish in the world. Despite its size, it is a filter feeder, eating plankton, small fish, and other microscopic organisms by swimming with its mouth wide open to filter food.

The species is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Endangered as it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild due to threats like habitat destruction, fishing pressures, and accidental capture in fishing gear.

Known for their non-aggressive nature, these creatures pose no threat to humans and often allow close approaches by divers and fishermen alike.