When a giant manta ray became entangled in a commercial fishing line, diving instructor Paul Slater jumped into action to save the creature. With help from American Don Shellhammer, Slater swam up to the 16-foot manta ray, who was dragging nearly 200 feet of fishing line.
"I was shooting GoPro video at the time and the dive master and I approached the animal from behind, deciding originally to cut the trailing line some 20ft behind the animal. We made a first cut of the line around the body, but he was pretty spooked and swam off," Slater recalled of the rescue that unfolded on May 17 near Cocos Island, off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
"I believe he then realized we were there to help and it circled back around, we came back to him and proceeded to cut the remaining line from him and free him."
The manta stopped swimming completely, so they could work on him. It clearly knew the brave heroes were trying to help it.
After the amazing rescue, the manta ray gave a British diver a show of thanks, and it's truly magical.
"After it was released, the manta then proceeded to stick around and do barrel roles for lots of photo ops — which we are convinced was in appreciation of our efforts," Slater added.
The animal is classified as "vulnerable," as their large size and slow speed make them easy fishing targets.
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Source: Manta Ray rescued from fishing line by LittleThingsVideo on Rumble
