A PLUCKY pod of dolphins rescued a Brit swimmer from a 6ft shark lining up a deadly attack.
Adam Walker claims the heroic creatures formed a protective circle around him to fend off the underwater beast in New Zealand.
The baffled bloke, from Nottingham, had headed into open water in hopes of fulfilling his dream of swimming with dolphins in 2014.
The majestic mammals managed to surpass even Adam's expectations after they scared off a great white shark that was headed for him.
He claims he was told by a pal that he did not need to worry about sharks in the area, promising him a fear-free dip.
But lurking in the depths of the Cook Strait was a 6ft beast, gunning for an oblivious Adam who hovered above.
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He was already battling fierce waves, describing the dip as "like swimming in a washing machine".
The Brit could then hardly believe his eyes when a pod of dolphins popped up and began swimming around him in circles.
He believes the intuitive animals had noticed the deadly predator and opted to keep him safe on his open water swim.
In a Facebook post detailing his extraordinary experience at the time, Adam wrote: "Dream come true swimming with dolphins over an hour…open-water swimming doesn’t get any better than this!
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"I’d like to think they were protecting me and guiding me home. This swim will stay with me forever."
He admitted he hadn't even noticed the huge shark while in the water and only became aware when he got out.
The swimmer told the Marlborough Express he was not best pleased with his pal after dicing with death, admitting he "had a go at him when I got out".
Dolphins are often targeted by sharks in the ocean and rely on each other for protection.
They tend to retaliate against attacks by using their large snout to prod the predators, jabbing their underbelly or gills.
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The Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) organisation said: "The main advantage dolphins have against shark attacks is safety in numbers; they stick together in pods and defend one another from a shark’s attack by chasing and ramming it.
"Dolphins are able to protect vulnerable members of their pods and extended families such as young dolphins and injured or sick dolphins."
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