This is the heartwarming moment locals rescue a sea turtle that was found tangled in a fishing net on a beach in Thailand.

Resort employees noticed the Olive ridley turtle while it was stranded on the shore on Koh Phra Thong island in Phang Nga province on Friday.

The marine creature's body was trapped in netting, but workers carefully cut it free.

Footage showed them hacking off the knotted fishing equipment as the turtle wiggled its flippers. Once free, the reptile was returned to the sea, disappearing under the foamy waves.

Prarop Plaengngan, chief of Khao Lampi–Hat Thai Mueang National Park, said that based on pictures, the turtle was a mature female Olive ridley sea turtle, which is classified as vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List.

He said: 'The major causes of the population decline include illegal fishing, entanglement in fishing gear, marine pollution, particularly plastic waste, and climate change.

'Sea turtles play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, and the loss of their population would severely affect the food chain and the balance of coastal ecosystems. Conserving them is not only essential for protecting biodiversity but also for maintaining the balance of marine environments in Thailand.'

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

Thousands of animals suffer from ghost nets, as well as other debris scattered in the oceans.

UNESCO's Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution said that more than one million marine animals, including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds, are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean.