Michael Fishbach is the co-founder of The Great Whale Conservancy (GWC) and one day while out for a sail his team came across something they weren’t planning to see. It was a whale that they initially thought was dead. However, upon closer inspection, realized if they acted fast enough the whale would be saved.

The giant humpback whale was tangled up in the nets of local fishermen. The gentle giant wasn’t able to swim because its fins and tail were completely caught in the netting. The team knew they had to act fast if they were going to rescue the whale.

They called for help and found out it would be at least an hour before assistance could arrive. The team knew they didn’t have that long to wait. Floating just 15 feet below the surface, the whale was already struggling to breath.

The team tried to keep the whale calm and steady while using one small knife to cut through the netting. At one point the whale attempted to swim and the crew was pulled over a half mile before the whale tired and stopped to let them continue working on the net.

The whale was named Valentina, and finally, with perseverance, the team was able to free her. Valentina swam a distance away from the boat, but before she got too far, she did a full jump out of the water as if to say thank you to her rescuers.

Check out the video below of Valentina’s marvelous rescue. You won’t want to miss the end when she gives them a thank you wave. Be sure to share this amazing story with your family and friends.