A 27 year old New Zealand woman is in critical condition in hospital after being crushed by a dolphin that leaped on to her boat. The woman had been watching the dolphins off the North Island’s Coromandel Peninsula from the bow of the small boat when a bottlenose dolphin landed on her. She suffered serious head injuries and was flown to hospital in Auckland. Bottlenose dolphins, which can measure up to 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) in length and weigh as much as 260 kg (572 pounds), are known for their friendly behaviour toward human beings and seldom become aggressive.
I swim with wild dolphins and also kayak with them for six decades now and have to think this was a freak accident. It’s beyond my imagination to think that a dolphin would intentionally harm a human. While kayaking in a sea of frothing bottlenose, I’ve had the babies jump over my kayak at eye level – n astounding experience – with so signs of hostility from the parents.
By the way, I encourage all Globetrotters and your friends to boycott commercial dolphin swimming experiences. It’s terrible to see them in captivity, where they literally bg for affection because they are so far removed from their families. A commercial pond is a prison, and I wouldn’t be surprised at aggresive dolphin, although I’ve never heard of any incidents.
In closing, it’s always best to keep your distance from any wild animal for the benefit ofboth the animal and yourself.
John “Caveman” gray AKA Ling Yai (Thai for “Big Monkey”)