Divers free whale shark from rope tangled around neck

A group of divers who freed a whale shark from a thick rope tangled around its neck in Th. Atoll on Wednesday morning have garnered widespread praise after video of the rescue went viral on social media.

The whale shark was rescued by a team of three local divers in the Olhigiri Sea in the Th. Atoll on Wednesday morning.

Videos and photos of the incident shows the thick rope had resulted in injuries to the whale shark. The divers used a knife to carefully cut the rope and free the shark.

Parliament’s Speaker Mohamed Nasheed joined the public in praising the divers in a tweet Wednesday night.

He called the divers, who he identified as Faya, Niya and Firaz, “heroes”.

The former president also stressed the need to reduce marine pollution that can harm wildlife.

The whale shark is the largest known extant fish species in the world. However, despite its size, the whale shark does not pose any danger to humans.

The whale shark is a protected species in Maldives.