Thankfully, seal monitor Ayanda Cimani was up to the challenge. Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa, shared some incredible footage of the rescue on social media!

In the clip, a group of seals were lounging on the seal platform, a wooden deck just above the water. One of these creatures seemed to be troubled by a piece of plastic wrapped around their neck. 

No matter how much they wriggled around, they couldn’t extricate themselves from the predicament. What this seal needed was a diver with a cutting tool to save them!

@2oceansaquarium Watch Seal Monitor Ayanda Cimani disentangle a Cape fur seal! 🦭🩵 #twooceansaquarium #sealrescue #fyp #capetown #ocean ♬ original sound – Two Oceans Aquarium

Ayanda Cimani donned his diving gear and slipped into the water underneath the deck. Then, he cautiously waited for the animal to calm down. Once the creature was laying on the ground, Ayanda swam up beneath them and snipped the plastic right off. 

Although the seal was startled at first, they were relieved to find that the diver had saved them from being strangled.

This seal rescue reminds us to be more environmentally conscientious. The heartwarming animal rescue video ended with a warning for all of us.

“Remember to be mindful of your plastic usage — it could save a life!” wrote Two Oceans in their caption.

According to the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation website, their Marine Wildlife Management Programme members are always on the lookout for seals in situations like this one. They have “disentangled thousands of seals.” Seal monitors like Ayanda not only protect these animals from plastic, but are also responsible for making sure they use the seal platforms. This keeps local humans from getting too close! 

We’re so glad that this diver was able to save the poor seal caught in a piece of plastic. Now, the creature can go back to hanging out with their friends!

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