Sam and Nicholas are commercial fishermen who went out onto the Pacific Ocean, never expecting the sight that they would end up seeing. A humpback whale had become ensnared by a net and was not able to extricate himself on his own. He was going to need help and he would need it fast. The US Coast Guard was contacted but they would not be able to make it right away.

The fishermen knew that the whale was not going to survive for very much longer. They elected to help out the whale themselves. Nicholas says that there was no other option for the whale and we are inclined to agree. The two men surveyed the situation and made the right choice. While some would have crossed their fingers that the Coast Guard would arrive in time, they were not willing to do so.

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Fresh footage whale ???? lovers. This is what the beast looked like when we first approached. She was wrapped up in line and trailing this buoy. That is how we initially spotted her. Stayed tuned #slimewars now taking applications for production managers. #entangledwhale #fvpersistence #nativepacificfisheries

A post shared by F/V Persistence (@fv_persistence) on Nov 2, 2018 at 7:03pm PDT

The men say that they were so full of adrenaline at the time, they were not even frightened. Nicholas filmed and Sam was the one who took the plunge into the ocean. The results are absolutely incredible. This was a dangerous mission. Humpback whales are sizable creatures and approaching one that is in clear distress is not always wise.

These fishermen were not concerned, though. All they knew was that the whale needed their help and they were more than willing to provide it. This humpback had a 40 pound tail that could have easily killed Sam if he was not careful. This was the furthest thing from his mind in that moment. He simply wanted to free the whale from its makeshift prison before it was too late.

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To all my whale ???? lovers. This is attempt number 2 when Sam almost gets his face cut in half by a whale fluke!! For complete episode, stay tuned for #slimewars – a full-feature commercial slime eel fishing reality tv show coming to a broadcasting station near you. #persistence #fvpersistence@

A post shared by F/V Persistence (@fv_persistence) on Nov 1, 2018 at 7:16pm PDT

It took more than one attempt to save the whale. The third time was the charm. Sam had to jump onto the whale’s back and he moved as quickly as he possibly could. The whale seemed to sense that Sam wanted to help and the sea creature remained still throughout the process. The whale was eventually rescued and of course, the clip went viral.

Now, it is your turn to share this clip with your friends and loved ones. If you were as impressed by this rescue mission as we were, you will definitely want to pass it along. These fishermen are heroes of the highest order and they deserve all of the praise that they are currently receiving. Kudos to them for being willing to help at a moment’s notice.