This is the moment a team of salmon farmers managed to save a bald eagle from the tentacles of a hungry octopus.

The group were returning to their float house stationed off the Northwest tip of Canada’s Vancouver Island, when they heard splashing and screeching and saw the unlikely contest between the creatures.

The men reportedly watched the struggle for “about five minutes”, before deciding to intervene on behalf of the eagle.

One of the crew, John Ilett, told CNN they saw “a full-sized eagle submerged in the water with a big giant octopus in the water trying to drag it down”.

“We weren’t sure if we should interfere because it is mother nature, survival of the fittest,” Mr Ilett said. “But it was heart wrenching to see this octopus was trying to drown this eagle.”

Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team Show all 10 1 /10 Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team An unconventional family of bald eagles comprised of two males and one female have been filmed raising eaglets together AP Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team The trio were spotted living together along the Mississippi River near Fulton, Illinois AP Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team The two males are sharing their second partner after their original female mate was killed by another eagle Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge have named the males Valor I and Valor II and the female Starr Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team A webcam set up by the stewards in 2011 is allowing animal enthusiasts around the world watch live footage of the trio raising their chicks Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team The original trio formed in 2013 when Valor I's previous partner chose Valor II as a new mate Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team However Valor I hung around for the rest of the breeding season and, after their mate was killed in 2017, the pair courted new female Starr together later the same year Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team Three eggs have been laid by Starr hatched this spring Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team A screengrab from the livestream of the eagles Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge Trio of eagles raise chicks as a team The eagles in 2016, before Starr replaced now dead prior mate Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge

In the end Mr Ilett used a pole with a small hook to break up the scuffle.

“I was able to just latch on to the octopus and give it a little tug,” he said. “It released its grip ... which gave the eagle just enough time to get to shore.

“Am I at fault because I’m human and I felt compassion for the bird?” he said. “At the end of the day both animals are alive and well and they went their separate ways and we feel pretty good about what we did.”