In October 2004, something amazing and a little scary happened off the coast of New Zealand. Four swimmers were in the water at Ocean Beach near the town of Whangārei. The group included a lifeguard named Rob Howes, his 15-year-old daughter Niccy, and two of her friends. They were swimming far from the shore, about 100 meters out, when something unusual started happening.
Out of nowhere, a group of dolphins appeared. These were bottlenose dolphins, known for their intelligence and friendly behavior. At first, the swimmers thought the dolphins were just being playful. Dolphins are curious animals and often swim near people. But soon, the group noticed something strange. The dolphins started circling them closely, swimming fast around them in tight circles. They even slapped their tails hard on the water, which made loud smacking sounds.
Rob Howes said it was like the dolphins were forming a wall around them. He didn’t understand why at first. Then, he looked into the water and saw a huge shape approaching. It was a great white shark over three meters long swimming right toward them. In that moment, everything made sense. The dolphins were not playing. They were protecting the swimmers from the shark.
The dolphins stayed with the group for about 40 minutes. They kept circling and slapping the water to keep the shark away. The shark circled around at a distance but never came close enough to attack. It seemed to be watching but was afraid to come near because of the dolphins. Eventually, the shark gave up and swam away. Only then did the dolphins relax and disappear into the sea, leaving the swimmers free to return to shore safely.
This real-life event amazed many people. Some scientists explained that dolphins are known to protect each other and sometimes even help other animals, including humans. But why would dolphins risk their lives to help people? Marine biologist Ingrid Visser said it could be because dolphins are social creatures. They live in groups and protect each other from danger. Maybe they saw the humans as part of their group or as creatures in need of help.
Now the question is: are sharks afraid of dolphins?
In many cases, yes, they are. Dolphins are smaller than sharks, but they are fast, smart, and work together. A group of dolphins can confuse and attack a shark by hitting it in the gills or belly with their strong snouts. This can hurt or even kill the shark. So, a lone shark will usually avoid a group of dolphins, especially if the dolphins are being aggressive. In this story, it wasn’t just that the dolphins were strong it was the number of them, their teamwork, and their bold behavior that likely scared the shark away.
This story is both beautiful and a little scary. Imagine being in the open sea with a great white shark nearby! It’s the kind of thing many people fear. But to be saved by wild dolphins, working together like bodyguards, sounds almost like something out of a movie. Yet it really happened.
That day, the ocean showed both its danger and its kindness. While the great white shark reminded us of how scary nature can be, the dolphins showed that even in the wild, there can be moments of surprising friendship and protection. For the swimmers in New Zealand, it was a day they will never forget a day they came face to face with danger and were saved by the most unexpected heroes of the sea.
