Sierra Blogging Post Archives

People are fascinated with dolphins. Always have been. And it's not a one-way street -- dolphins seem to feel a connection to us, too. For as long as men have been working or playing in the ocean, there have been tales of dolphins saving them from peril at sea. Here's yet another one...

24 year-old surfer, Todd Endris, was sitting on his surfboard off the coast of Monterey, CA, when a 15-foot great white shark attacked him. The giant shark hit him three times, crushing his leg and shredding his back. The shark would have hit him again had a pod of nearby dolphins not come to his rescue. Forming a protective ring around Endris, the dolphins kept the shark at bay so he could return safely to shore. Read the full story here.



Maybe dolphins like to toy with sharks or maybe they feel compelled to protect us. Either way, dolphins have only ever been our friends. In some parts of the world, dolphins are even used as birthing assistants. Because of their sonar abilities, dolphins can sense when a woman is pregnant and gather around to protect her (pregnant women are often banned from swim-with-the-dolphin programs because the dolphin won't pay attention to anyone but her). They're also used in healing and therapy programs.

But not everyone values the lives of these sensitive, intelligent mammals. If you haven't heard what's happening to thousands of dolphins in Japan, click here for details (but be forewarned -- it's disturbing). If you'd like to help them, click here to take action and here to sign the petition.