Adam Walker: Swimmer saved by ‘hero’ dolphins that scared off deadly shark about to attack him
COOK STRAIT, NEW ZEALAND: A British swimmer was left in a state of shock when he realized he was being chased by a huge great white shark.
Adam Walker, from Nottingham, was swimming off the coast of New Zealand in 2014 when the predator was seen following him. At the time of the incident, Walker was told he could do a dip without fear as sharks weren't around the Cook Strait.
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However, Adam was miraculously saved by a group of dolphins who arrived just in time to protect him from the deadly shark. In a video shared on YouTube, Walker can be seen in the middle of his 16-mile challenge, with a support boat also accompanying him. Suddenly, a pod of dolphins comes out of the water, swimming around him in circles.
At the time, Walker, in a Facebook post, described it as an unbelievable experience and felt as though the mammals were keeping him safe during his swim. He wrote, "Swimming with dolphins on my 6th of Oceans 7 swims 'Cook Strait' open water swimming doesn't get any better than this!! Dream come true!"
According to Walker, the dolphins were doing their best to protect him. He wrote, "I’d like to think they were protecting me and guiding me home. This swim will stay with me forever."
However, Walker revealed that he was oblivious that a shark was near him until he got out. According to Walker, he was informed by a friend before getting in the water that sharks wouldn't pose a threat to his safety, so he wasn't happy after discovering the truth. While talking to the Marlborough Express, Walker recalled that he "had a go at him (his friend) when I got out."
Dolphins are often targeted by sharks and depend on each other for safety. Therefore, the animals use their large groups to jab sharks if they come in to attack, beating their underbelly or gills.
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) organization said, "The main advantage dolphins have against shark attacks is safety in numbers; they stick together in pods and defend one another from a shark’s attack by chasing and ramming it."
The organization added, "Dolphins are able to protect vulnerable members of their pods and extended families such as young dolphins and injured or sick dolphins."
Walker completed his swim in 8 hours and 36 minutes. The challenge was the sixth one in his series of difficult swimming challenges he set himself to try and raise some money and awareness for the WDC.
