Saturday, October 30, 2004. The half-mile crescent of Whangarei\u2019s Ocean Beach glowed white in the early morning light. January and February\u2014the high months of summer in New Zealand\u2014were still far away, and the water was cold on my feet from the winter just past.<\/p>\n
With me were my fellow lifeguards Karina and Matt, my daughter Nicky\u2014also a lifeguard\u2014and her friend Helen, a novice. This was to be Helen\u2019s first official summer lifeguarding at Ocean Beach.<\/p>\n
That morning, we were going to show her one of the beach\u2019s most challenging features: the jagged lines of rocks that jut far out to sea at the north and south ends of the beach.<\/p>\n
Each summer, we rescued swimmers who got picked up by the beach\u2019s powerful rip currents and swept into those razor-sharp rocks. You can\u2019t be a good lifeguard at Ocean Beach without being comfortable among them.<\/p>\n
The five of us swam out and soon found a spot where the rip was running. A strong rip current at Whangarei is like a conveyor belt. In seconds, it can carry a hapless swimmer\u2014or a lifeguard intent on rescuing him\u2014hundreds of yards out into the sea.<\/p>\n
We were far offshore in no time, floating by the tip of the half-submerged line of rocks at the northern end of the beach.<\/p>\n
Helen swam out of the pull of the current and watched as it swept Nicky, Karina, Matt and me toward the rocks.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee?\u201d I said as we ducked and bobbed around them. \u201cIt\u2019s not as dangerous as it looks. Keep your arms and legs close to your body. The rocks can cut you without your knowing.\u201d Helen swam in and gave it a try herself. \u201cYou\u2019re doing fine,\u201d I encouraged her. \u201cNow let\u2019s tackle the south end.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s too much of a swim for me,\u201d Matt said. \u201cI\u2019m on duty.\u201d He signaled to the patrolling lifeguards on the beach, and someone whizzed out in a boat to pick him up. Karina, Nicky, Helen and I started for the distant line of the southern rocks.<\/p>\n
Ten minutes into the swim\u2014and a good 150 yards offshore\u2014the boat buzzed past again. Matt was in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlipper!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n
The girls and I stopped swimming and scanned the waves. Pfft! <\/em>A few yards away, a big gray fin popped out of the water. Then another, and another. A half-dozen bottlenose dolphins circled us. Dolphins often came in to Ocean Beach to surf. I swam with them all the time.<\/p>\n Typically, a pod checking out a group of swimmers like us would circle once or twice, then head off to play in the waves. But these guys weren\u2019t going anywhere. Pow!<\/em> One of the dolphins slapped the water with its tail flukes. \u201cWhat are they doing?\u201d Helen asked.<\/p>\n \u201cJust having some fun,\u201d I said. I hoped it was true. The dolphins circled in closer and closer, moving in tight, fast formation. They corralled Nicky, Karina, Helen and me so close together that we were practically touching.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s happening, Dad?\u201d Nicky asked. My daughter knew dolphins as well as I did. This was definitely not normal dolphin behavior.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019m going to see if I can break out of the circle.\u201d<\/p>\n I lay on my back and kicked hard, determined to break through whether the dolphins wanted me to or not. Helen stuck close behind me. The dolphins didn\u2019t try to stop us. When we were clear of the circle, I stopped and looked back. The dolphins zoomed around Karina and Nicky, making the water roil. What were these guys up to?<\/p>\n Suddenly, one dolphin broke away. Was their game over? No\u2014the dolphin charged at Helen and me! An attack? I swam in front of Helen to try and protect her. From what, I couldn\u2019t imagine. I braced for the impact.<\/p>\n At the last second, the animal shot down underneath us. I turned in the water, anticipating where it would break the surface.<\/p>\n My blood froze. Just six feet below us in the crystal-clear water, a massive shape cruised menacingly. The sheer bulk of the creature identified it right away: a great white shark. It looked to be a good 10 feet long.<\/p>\n One of us must have gotten cut on the rocks. The great white had picked up the scent of blood, detected us swimming and stalked us. Now the dolphins behavior made perfect sense. When Helen and I swam out of their protective ring, the shark must have followed.<\/p>\n One of our rescuers immediately broke away in a last-ditch attempt to divert the shark from the two of us.<\/p>\n The dolphins were doing everything in their power to keep the shark from attacking. But how much longer could they keep the killer at bay?<\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever known dolphins to act this way?\u201d Helen asked. She was much too calm to have seen the danger we were in.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d I managed, stealing a glance underwater. With horror, I watched the huge form turn beneath us\u2014and head toward Nicky and Karina.<\/p>\n I gulped back the urge to shout. If they knew, they might panic and splash the water. That would make them more attractive to the shark.<\/p>\n The dolphins are here for a reason. God, please help them do the job they\u2019re meant to do.<\/em> Almost as if the dolphins heard my plea, the circle churned the water even more violently. They\u2019re trying to confuse the shark,<\/em> I thought. They know he wants the girls.<\/em><\/p>\n A buzzing sound made me turn my head. Matt and another lifeguard were in the boat. They sped toward us. We were safe! The boat slowed down near Nicky and Karina and the wildly agitated dolphins. Matt jumped overboard. The boat sped off again. They didn\u2019t know about the shark, either!<\/p>\n The waters around Nicky and Karina died down. The dolphins slowed some, their circle widening. They seemed calmer. They stopped slapping their tails. The shark must be gone.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d I told Helen. \u201cStay right behind me.\u201d We swam over to where Matt, Nicky and Karina treaded water. The rest of the pieces fell together in my head.<\/p>\n