Dolphins Save British Swimmer from Shark by Forming Protective Circle Around Him Off New Zealand Coast

Dolphins saved a British swimmer from a shark off the coast of New Zealand, according to UK media reporting on Saturday, August 6. The so-called "hero dolphins" reportedly formed a protective circle around him to scare of the ocean predator. The incident occurred as the swimmer was competing in a 16-mile challenge to swim across the Cook Strait.

Aside from the New Zealand coast, there have been multiple incidents dubbed as 'dolphin rescues' around the world. While marine experts claim that dolphins are also susceptible to aggressive behavior, the aquatic mammals are rarely compared to the ferocious and predatory behaviors of sharks.

A growing body of scientific evidence show that dolphins not only possess intelligence but they are also capable of fighting sharks in some circumstances, at least when a pod of dolphins stick together. Other contenders include orcas or killer whales against the previous ocean apex predator, great white sharks.

New Zealand Dolphin Rescue

(Photo : Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

The dolphin rescue in New Zealand was caught on video, which was also posted by the Daily Mail on its article on Saturday. The incident transpired when the swimmer named Adam Walker from Nottingham was traversing through the open waters if Cook Strait.

After three hours, a pod of dolphins suddenly surrounded him when a great white shark appeared only a few feet away below him. At the time of the incident in 2014, Walker reportedly felt the dolphins were protecting and guiding him home.

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Related Dolphin Rescue Incidents

Incidents related to dolphins rescuing people from either in the open seas or oceans have been known for a long time. Either stranded in the waters or being threatened by sharks, dolphins earned their reputation as a social marine animal, which have captured the hearts of many.

In New Zealand, a related incident back in 2004 saw a pod of dolphins saving a group of swimmers from a great white shark off coast of northern New Zealand.

The swimmers include a lifeguard who took his daughter and two of her friends for a swim near the town of Whangarei, according to the Northern Advocate newspaper, as cited by The Guardian.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, dolphins also saved a swimmer after being stranded for nearly 12 hours off the coast of Ireland in 2021. The rescue fully manifested when local authorities were drawn to a pod of dolphins surrounding the floating simmer, as reported by the BBC.

Dolphins Against Sharks

According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), large sharks are known for preying on dolphins, particularly very young calves and sick adult dolphins.

Sharks, being major predators for dolphins, is not always the case. This is due to the fact that orcas, which are large members of the dolphin family, are known for hunting and killing the predatory marine animals for their liver, the WDC adds.

For smaller dolphins, fighting sharks are still an option due to their advantage of safety in numbers and by using their strong snouts to ram sharks to cause injuries, according to the non-profit organization.