| Apparently there's a big debate going on in scientific | | | | The pack of dolphins swum around the group, keeping |
| circles. Swimmers and surfers from around the world | | | | them together, for over half an hour, when there was |
| are coming up with stories that they have somehow | | | | no obvious danger or problem around. That, said the |
| been 'rescued' by dolphins and scientists are having | | | | experienced Life Guards, was highly unusual. It was |
| trouble accepting that. If someone says 'I was half a | | | | only after about forty five minutes that they saw the |
| mile from the beach and got into trouble, but then a | | | | fin of the Great White Shark. Ah, say the scientists, |
| dolphin appeared, swum under me and lifted me up', | | | | don't go interpreting this! You can't say the dolphins |
| the scientists can't accept it. They don't believe that | | | | knew the shark was there; knew the swimmers were |
| dolphins are clever enough to work out that the human | | | | in danger; and went over to protect them. Well, what |
| is having problems and then planning something like a | | | | can you say? Okay, maybe 'The dolphins saved us' |
| 'rescue'. Why not? Dolphins have brains that are just | | | | implies that the mammals with fins were thinking too |
| about as big as ours. They communicate, using a | | | | much, but you know, you could say 'What the dolphins |
| complex language of grunts, hoots and whistles. They | | | | did saved our lives'. That's true. |
| are a social animal, just like human beings, and | | | | Because, at the end of the day - especially at the end |
| biologists argue that it was living in colonies that forced | | | | of a long day out in the water, avoiding getting eaten - |
| us to develop big brains. Ah, apart from the fact that | | | | it doesn't really matter what was going through the |
| dolphins are mammals in water and we are mammals | | | | dolphins' heads. The facts in the two cases above are |
| on land - oh, and they don't have arms. Does that | | | | (i) the swimmers were in danger from sharks; (ii) they |
| make them stupid? | | | | avoided death because dolphins were around. It really |
| A very interesting programme on BBC last night gave | | | | doesn't matter if the air-breathing, swimming mammals |
| two well documented examples. In both cases, there | | | | recognise us as a fellow species, and realise our |
| were many witnesses so there was no dispute about | | | | clumsy attempts at swimming often attract sharks, |
| what actually happened. In the first case, a party of | | | | who think we are fish in trouble, (got that fact from |
| swimmers had been out on a boat in the Red Sea. | | | | 'Jaws'. Watch it again - it's the part when Richard |
| They came across a school of dolphins and started | | | | Dreyfus is arguing with the Mayor on the beach). |
| swimming with them. After some time the dolphins | | | | No, the scientists are having problems with that old |
| went away and the humans, apart from one, climbed | | | | chestnut, 'What is really going on?', which means to |
| back on their boat. That unfortunate man was then | | | | them, 'What were they thinking?' Lots of us get bound |
| attacked by a shark. It took a bite out of him, and the | | | | up in that. For instance, it's an established fact that only |
| people on the boat saw a huge pool of blood in the | | | | five per cent of older people in Britain and the United |
| water and swung back to pick him up. Before they got | | | | States get to retirement age with enough money to |
| to him, they saw that the dolphins had re-appeared | | | | last through. Most of us end up retired and flat broke. |
| and seemed to be swimming in circles round the victim, | | | | That's a fact. It really doesn't matter what was going |
| as if to protect him from the shark. | | | | through our heads; what our intentions were; what we |
| Whoah, say the scientists. We don't know that. What, | | | | had planned; or what we expected. But we worry |
| that the dolphins were circling? Ah no, say the men in | | | | about such mental processes. Why? In the last few |
| white coats. They all saw that, there were witnesses. | | | | years the weather has thrown everything at us - |
| But we don't know the dolphins had thought to | | | | hurricanes, floods, brush fires, snow and blizzards - and |
| themselves, 'This poor unfortunate man, we must | | | | it's not thinking anything. These things happen. Wouldn't |
| protect him'. No, said one highly qualified guy. It might be | | | | it be a good idea to learn something here? |
| that dolphins have a 'circle the wagons' instinct. When | | | | It really doesn't matter if dolphins circle swimmers |
| sharks appear, they group together, for mutual | | | | because they think they're dolphins. The fact is that |
| protection. They might just have included this guy | | | | humans have sometimes been 'saved' by the actions |
| because - well, maybe they mistook him for one of | | | | of nearby dolphins, that's all. Unfortunately, out here on |
| their own. I beg your pardon? Dolphins, you say, are | | | | dry land, if we're poor, frustrated, not achieving our |
| not only NOT thinking creatures, they also don't know | | | | ambitions and fearful of the future, then one thing is |
| the difference between legs and a fishy tail? | | | | clear. We had better start paddling, because, here and |
| In the second case, which happened off the North | | | | now, there's no chance we're going to be rescued by |
| Island of New Zealand, a group of dolphins surrounded | | | | anything, especially dolphins. |
| a group of swimmers, actually qualified Life Guards. | | | | |