Dolphins Protect Injured Surfer From Shark
Surfer Todd Endris owes his life to a pod of bottlenose dolphins.
In late August, Endris was surfing in Monterey, California when a great white shark came out of nowhere and hit him three times, peeled the skin of his back and chewed his right leg to the bone.
Endris needed a miracle to get away from the shark. But then a pod of dolphins formed a protective ring around the injured surfer which allowed him to get to shore.
After four months, Endris is still going through physical therapy to repair muscle damage from the shark attack.
The shark was estimated at 12 to 15 feet long. Endris said the shark came out of nowhere and hit him first when he was sitting on his surfboard. Fortunately, Endris’ stomach was against the surfboard, so his internal organs were protected from the shark.
When the shark tried to attack his right leg, Endris was able to kick the shark in the head and snout with his left leg until the shark let go.
The dolphins then circled Endris which kept the shark away. This allowed Endris to get back on his surfboard and ride back to the shore and safety.
It is uncertain why dolphins protect humans, but according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, dolphins have been rescuing humans since ancient Greece.
Last year in New Zealand, four lifeguards were saved from sharks by dolphins forming a protective ring around them.
Source: MSNBC
November 8th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Amazing beings. They do this even after humans routinely ensnare them in tuna nets.
November 8th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Lynne, do you ever wonder if they are thinking something along the lines of “you stupid idiots, if you dont’ have flippers, don’t swim!” or maybe “oh, god, those unintelligent whiners are in our water again. i’d try to communicate to them, but they are clearly not intellecuatlly developed enough to have language” - i mean, they swim with sharks…”
;-)
November 8th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Tanya and Lynne, I expect their mental abilities are way more advanced than ours.
November 8th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I love dolpins. Can you imagine that China and Japan catch and kill them for food?
November 8th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Food is what it is. The nature of Nature is that creatures must kill to survive, even if it’s another beautiful creature.
I’m not against killing, per say… i’m against slaughter which i know was being done in Japan because the dolphin were eating the tuna and “hampering” fishing. THAT all but enraged me.
November 9th, 2007 at 8:12 am
“…I expect their mental abilities are way more advanced than ours.”
I expect so too. Perhaps it is that they have chosen a peaceful existence and therefore appear “dumb” to man.
November 9th, 2007 at 10:19 am
The slaughter of beautiful, sensitive, feeling and intelligent dolphins is because China actually has a demand for the meat. Japan kills them and sells them to China..no suprise. I had contact with Dolphins on Maui in Hawaii and they would actually come along side the boat in the ocean and look right at you inquisitively and jump joyfully and squeak and express theirselves in the most charming ways! I was completely taken with them!!!! How any society could kill and consume them speaks volumes about the humans that do.
November 9th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
and we pay them back by capturing them and enslaving them at sea worlds and aquariums.