This is the fin-tastic moment a woman saves a baby shark from a jeering crowd of beachgoers as they torment it while it is trapped in shallow waters in Argentina.

Footage of the rescue, recorded in Santa Teresita, in Buenos Aires province, shows a mob of swimmers surrounding the tiny shark as it desperately tries to escape.

Laughing locals pick it up from the sea and pose for selfies with it while others try to scare each other by waving the shark in their faces.

But as one man grabs the helpless shark pup by the tail and laughingly dangles it in the air, a woman runs through the crowd and slaps his arm shouting: “No, no, no!”

She takes the shark from his hand and turns suddenly before hurling it back into the safety of deeper waters.

Local media reported that the rescue took place a week ago, but the footage has just surfaced online.

The images sparked outrage from animal lovers.

One social media user said: “How decadent. I have no words. The only thing I would rescue is that lady.”

Another said: “Being a sea creature in this day and age is worse than walking around in the Gaza Strip.”

It is currently unclear what species of shark was saved but harmless sand tiger sharks are often found off Arentina’s Atlantic coast.