A scuba diver in New Zealand diver has rescued an orca, commonly known as a killer whale, he found trapped in a fisherman's rope.
New Zealand media report the whale had become entangled in a rope attached to a crayfish trap off the coast of Coromandel Peninsula.
Diver Rhys Cochrane said the whale did not seem to mind when he swam down to cut the rope and said it swam away quickly once it was freed. He said several other whales had watched from a distance.
New Zealand orca expert Ingrid Visser watched the video Cochrane had taken of the experience. She said whales are smart enough to know when you are trying to help them.
Visser said she could see bite marks on the whale, indicating other whales had tried to free it.
Visser added that swimmers should never jump in the water to swim with orcas as they are a top predator. But, she said, at the same time, there is no record of a person being attacked by an orca in the wild.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
