A few months ago, a man was suddenly attacked by a shark while swimming in the Red Sea off Egypt. Bitten several times and bleeding, he finally succumbed to death. Then came the dolphins.
“I’m pretty sure the dolphins saved my life.”
In 2017, biologist Nan Hauser backed up while swimming off Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. A humpback whale for long minutes Until she reappears. At that time the young woman did not understand the behavior of the mammal. However, after a few minutes she felt a five meter long tiger shark approaching her from below.
More recently, a certain Martin Richardson was said to have been swimming in the Red Sea in Egypt Attacked by a mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) after five bites, the man began to bleed, anticipating binge eating behavior. Then he returned to the mountains to abandon himself to his fate. Just then, at the same time, a dolphin appeared behind the victim. From then on, the attack ended immediately. The man was then towed away by a boat that came to rescue him. Rushing to the hospital, he would have More than three hundred stitches are required.
Martin Richardson recently described his experience National Geographic Chapter The focus is on these stories of redemption. ” I firmly believe that dolphins saved my life“, he announced.
Another case described in this episode involved a group of lifeguards swimming off the coast of New Zealand. Hunted by a great white shark (Carcharodon Carcharia), the latter surrounded by a group of dolphins. One of the larger males would have charged the predator, which would have finally fled.
Are these deliberate rescues?
This is a real question. Being saved by another animal is certainly a very romantic proposition, but experts are skeptical. As for Martin Richardson’s case, Mike Heydas, a professor in Florida International University’s Department of Biological Sciences, thinks he really is. It is unlikely that these dolphins intentionally saved his life. Rather, the researcher thinks that these animals are probably simply They took the lead in protecting their own young.
On the other hand, the other two cases mentioned above are always investigated. And for good reason, as a team from the Southwest Fisheries Science Center recently provided evidence that humpback whales actually can. Adopt an altruistic behavior in the event of predatory attacks on other species.
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