Dolphins save swimmers from shark

Dolphins are more concerned about our well being than we are about theirs. Now, who is the better species?

Dolphins save swimmers from shark

Sam Jones
Wednesday November 24, 2004
The Guardian

Move over Rover, let Flipper take over. News from New Zealand suggests man's best friend is in fact the bottlenose dolphin.
It emerged yesterday that four swimmers were saved from a great white shark by a pod of altruistic dolphins, who swam in circles around them until the humans could escape.

Rob Howes, a British-born lifeguard, had gone swimming with his daughter, Niccy, and two of her friends off Ocean beach near Whangarei on the North Island, when the dolphins suddenly appeared. At first, he thought the mammals were being playful, but he soon realised the danger the swimmers were in.

"They started to herd us up, they pushed all four of us together by doing tight circles around us," Mr Howes told the New Zealand Press Association.

He tried to drift away from the group, but two of the bigger dolphins herded him back - just as he spotted a three-metre <10ft> great white shark heading towards him. "I just recoiled," he said. "It was only about two metres away from me, the water was crystal clear and it was as clear as the nose on my face. They had corralled us up to protect us."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/science/story/0,12996,1358435,00.html

drowning people toward shore to help them. But I never saw an account of this.

This is really an incredible story. These animals were risking their own health too.

planet...guess not...