Lifeguard Matt Fleet, patrolling nearby in a rescue boat, saw the dolphins’ unusual behaviour and dived in to join the group — where he also spotted the shark. After 40 minutes, the dolphins’ circle held long enough for the group to swim back to shore safely.
Scientists have since debated whether the dolphins acted with conscious intent to protect the humans, or were simply responding to the shark as a threat to their own pod, with the swimmers incidentally benefiting. The behaviour is consistent with known dolphin anti-predator responses. Whether they were deliberately saving human lives remains an open question.
Rob Howes has never doubted what happened. “They were definitely protecting us,” he told the New Zealand Herald. “I have no question in my mind.”
Leave a Comment