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Approaches the 40- to 50,000-pound humpback. >> i got within roughly one foot of the eyeball of this humpback, just trying to reassure the whale i was there to help. very extraordinary to have that moment. >> fishbach is able to cut some of the net free from the animal's back. >> how's it working, michael? >> when he tries to continue cutting along the side of the whale, it becomes clear that's not the right choice. >> he's freaking out. i got his -- i got his dorsal fin free, that's it. his pec and his flukes are screwed. >> it's now safer to work on the net from on board the boat. fishbach h...

A man risks his own life when he dives into the water to free a whale trapped in a fishing net. >> that was an extremely intimidating and potentially dangerous place to be working. >> conservationist michael fishbach is the codirector of the great whale conservancy. he travels to mexico sea of cortez for two months every winter to photograph and observe some of the largest animals in the world, blue, fin, and humpback whales. on february 14th, 2011, he's out on the water with his wife, heather watrous, 5-year-old son, galen, and friends, george and whitney brazington. they're headed for a beac...

Entangled. just like in a straight jacket. 19 years on the water i've never seen anything like this. you have to make a decision. are you going to try to intervene yourself? physically intervening, certainly, carries a risk. >> fishbach and the group can't turn their backs on the animal. they radio the mexican authorities but know it could take hours if not days for someone to arrive, and by then it could be too late. fishbach takes a quick dip in the water to assess the situation under the surface. then he returns to the boat for a knife like this one. he wants to try cutting some of the net ...

[ train whistle blows ] ♪ my mom works at ge. ♪ a man risks his own life when he dives into the water to free a whale trapped in a fishing net. >> that was an extremely intimidating and potentially dangerous place to be working. >> conservationist michael fishbach is the codirector of the great whale conservancy. he travels to mexico sea of cortez for two months every winter to photograph and observe some of the largest animals in the world, blue, fin, and humpback whales.

>> it's okay, honey. >> galen, it's okay. >> the camera is rolling as he approaches the 40,000 to 50,000-pound humpback. >> i got within roughly one foot of the eyeball of this humpback just trying to reassure i was there to help. very extraordinary to have that moment. >> fishbach is able to cut some of the net free from the animal's back. >> how's it working, michael? >> when he tries to continue cutting along the side of the whale, it becomes clear that's not the right choice. >> he's freaking out. i got his -- i got his dorsal fin free, that's it. his pecks and flukes are screwed. >> it's ...