Sometimes you need a friend with opposable thumbs.

Thankfully, a giant manta ray with hooks caught in her eye found one of these buddies out in the deep blue sea.

Jake Wilton, an underwater photographer from Ningaloo Marine Interactions, was diving in the waters of Australia’s Ningaloo Reef with marine biologist Monty Hall when he was approached by the massive sea creature.

“I’m often guiding snorkelers in the area and it’s as if she recognized me and was trusting me to help her,” Wilton said of the moment in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “She got closer and closer and then started unfurling to present the eye to me. I knew we had to get the hooks out of her eye or she would have been in big trouble.”

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Wilton worked diligently to remove all the hooks from the ray’s right eye, while Hall documented the amazing moment. Hall said the manta ray stayed still for Wilton, and patiently allowed the diver to remove all the hooks.

“I’m sure that manta knew that Jake was trying to get the hooks out,” Hall added.

Wilton was able to safely remove all of the hooks embedded in the animal’s right eye. These hooks could have caused the ray’s eye to get infected, potentially leading to blindness and even death, if the creature didn’t get them removed.

While large manta rays may look intimidating, these animals are harmless to humans and are known for their intelligence.