An endangered humpback dolphin that was stuck in a crab catching net was rescued by caring fishermen.

The group was fishing for crabs when they noticed the dolphin struggling to break free from the net off the coast of Songklha, southern Thailand on September 11 afternoon.

Coast guards alerted a marine worker who sailed out to meet those onboard. The fishermen and authorities jumped into the water and swam to the dolphin then used a knife to cut him loose.

The Indian Ocean humpback dolphinswam away immediately after he was freed.

One of the crew said that the dolphin was not injured after its ordeal and looked to have plenty of strength when it swam away.

He said: "After rescuing him we waited to see if he is okay, but he never came back. I think that he was fine and swam back to his pod.

"The dolphin was lucky that we found him in time, a little later could have cost him his life."

The Indian Ocean humpback dolphin, or Chinese white dolphin, is a rare breed of dolphin found in the waters of Southeast Asia and Australia

They are classed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of endangered species.