This video starts off with a shot of paradise. It was taken in the Maldives, where the water is a gorgeous blue. There’s an island in the backdrop and there’s a man in the water, quite a way from the boat. It’s unclear what is happening at first, but there’s something jutting out of the water next to his head.
The water is a bit choppy and as he swims closer, you see that the thing jutting out from the water next to his head is his arm! He’s holding something in his right hand and swimming with his left arm only. You can see he’s struggling a bit to make it through the water. He pauses a few times to shake his head, wipe his face, and he sinks slightly each time.
Nevertheless, he keeps what he’s holding safely above the water. Just when you think the situation is alarming enough, you can see that there’s something gray swimming in the water just a few feet from him. Since the water is so choppy, it’s unclear exactly what kind it is but it’s definitely a shark.
©Romolo Tavani/Shutterstock.com
The man keeps swimming, his arm out of the water, as some people on the boat start to alert him of the shark swimming just beneath him. Surprisingly, both the man and the shark seem unfazed about the other’s presence. The shark, perhaps curious, swims in a circle around the man as the man, clearly exhausted, keeps his focus on the rescue mission at hand (or — in hand — as the case may be).
Finally, the man is close enough to the boat and you can see that what he’s holding is a tiny, wet zebra finch. A man on the boat holds out his arm to help the man on board. He hands the zebra finch over to him as he reaches and climbs the boat’s ladder, breathing heavily.
The next shot is of the zebra finch on someone’s hand. It’s wet and spooked, but standing on its own. With this shot, you can appreciate the vibrant orange hues on the zebra finch’s face. It is so small, it only takes up a portion of the man’s palm. How the man managed to spot this bird and save it in those choppy waters is a true miracle — and a wonderful display of human compassion.
Up Next, Check Out These Rescues:
Heart-wrenching Rescue of Baby and Mother Elephant in Thailand Will Make You Smile
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This 18 Month-Old Rescue Puppy Rings the Family Doorbell After Running Away
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