Fisherman frees whale from tangled ropes, catches amazing scene on video

Two fisherman off the coast of Virginia Beach, Va. say they have captured footage of the moment they freed a Northern Right Whale from a trap of entangled fishing gear.

Adrian Colaprete and his Captain Pat Foster were on the water helping scientists conduct research when they saw a whale swimming irregularly and decided to investigate, according to a description posted below the video online.

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The video posted on the website the Wild Lyfe shows the right whale, part of a critically endangered species, dragging ropes as it swims through the water. Foster says he swam up to the whale and cut the ropes, releasing the pressure weighing the massive creature down.

Colaprete swims dangerously close to the right whale, a species that can weigh up to 70 tons. This isn't like swimming up to a salmon, and Colaprete said he didn't originally plan to save the whale with one swift cut, but he assessed the situation and it "felt right."

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"I never would have taken that risk like that but me and Pat have been working together for like 10 years. We've known each other for a while. I feel real comfortable with him."

He certainly gave the public a chance to view this rare, beautiful creature up close.