This is the heartwarming moment fishermen teamed up to free an endangered whale shark that was stuck in a net.

The creature was caught up in the ropes which had been set up on the shallow part of a beach in the Philippines on June 8.

In the video, the enormous shark - estimated to be at least 20ft long, is seen struggling to swim and thrashing around violently in the ocean.

Concerned fishermen helped to cut through the net and ushered the animal back into the depths.

George Enciso Solmiano recorded the video of the fishermen working to help the whale shark off the coast of San Jose in Camarines Sur province.

He said: "My house was just near the sea, I immediately noticed the whale and fishermen, so I went straight to the beach to see what was happening and try to help.''

He added the man in the video are Antonio Violeta, who owns the net where the whale was stuck, and fellow fishermen Sammy Sarcilla, Jovel Paga and Ricky Primavera.

Whale sharks are classified as 'Endangered' on the (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.