Dolphins Save Surfer From Shark Attack
He barely noticed the dolphins leaping over his head. Suddenly the shark released him. Fighting to stay afloat, Endris thought he saw the dolphins form a protective wall between him and the great white.
He had heard about a common practice in Taiji, Japan, where dolphins are herded into small coves and slaughtered to be sold at fish markets. Hoping to do his part to protect them, he joined several organizations dedicated to their preservation. “I tell my story now to anybody who will listen because I want people to know how truly remarkable dolphins are,” he says. “They’re as smart as humans, and I believe they’re capable of empathy. When I was being attacked that day, maybe they were trying to protect their young or acting on instinct. But they drove the shark away. If they hadn’t, there’s no doubt in my mind it would have come back.”