A Miracle At Sea: Dolphins save long-distance swimmer from shark attack

Sharks patrol these waters!
Cook Strait
Shark encounter
Pod to the rescue
Aquatic friends
Dolphin escort
Fundraiser
Long swim
Smaller size
Recurring event
The deep ocean lifeguards
Doing tight circles
The ocean
Sharks patrol these waters!

A group of dolphins came to the rescue of Adam Walker, a British long-distance swimmer during a marathon swim off the coast of New Zealand! The group of dolphins sensed the danger and escorted Walker back to safety.

Cook Strait

Adam Walker was in the middle of his swim to conquer the Cook Strait, crossing from Wellington to Perano Head. A wide stretch of open ocean filled with aquatic life. It is regarded as one of the world's toughest oceans due to its mixed currents.

Shark encounter

The British swimmer spent weeks preparing for his challenge, but didn't expect to run into a Great White shark!

Pod to the rescue

Walker spotted a six-foot shark beneath him and began to panic. However, almost immediately after, a pod of 10 dolphins swam up beside him, deterring the shark from any attacks.

"Protecting me"

"I'd like to think they were protecting me and guiding me home. This swim will stay with me forever," Walker told the Mirror.

Aquatic friends

"It would be nice to think the dolphins stayed with me and were thinking 'We'll just help our pal get through," shared Walker during an interview.

Dolphin escort

Shortly after the shark realised he was not invited to the party. he swam away. The dolphins continued to escort Walker for more than an hour as he swam to the Cook Straits.

Fundraiser

Coincidentally, Walker was training for a fundraiser swim in order to raise money for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Charity. Did they know something?

Long swim

The British swimmer finished his 26-kilometer swim across the Cook Straits and can now add it to the list. Walker has conquered six of the seven oceans! Only the Irish Sea remains to complete the global objective.

Smaller size

Dolphins and sharks have an interesting relationship, one could compare them to dogs and cats. Dolphins are an average of 2-8 meters long, just slightly smaller than sharks. Nevertheless, a pod of dolphins can kill a full-grown shark.

Recurring event

Dolphins have been known in the past to rescue swimmers out in the open ocean. In 2004, a pod of dolphins saved some swimmers off the New Zealand coast.

The deep ocean lifeguards

Lifeguard Rob Howes told The Northern Advocate in New Zealand that dolphins had treated his lifeguard team in a similar fashion, pushing them closer to their pod when they spotted a large great white shark near Ocean Beach.

Doing tight circles

"They started to herd us up, they pushed all four of us together doing tight circles around us," Howes shared during an interview.

The ocean

While out in the ocean, there is not much one can control to ensure their safety. For life-threatening situations like this, it is best to keep calm and be aware of your surroundings at all times. The ocean can be a dangerous place but at the same time one of the most beautiful places on earth.

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