Quirky World ... Dolphins protect swimmer from shark

NEW ZEALAND: An endurance swimmer has spoken of being protected from a shark by a pod of dolphins as he swam one of the toughest stretches of open water in the world.

Adam Walker is aiming to become the first Briton to complete the Oceans Seven challenge but was alarmed to find he was being accompanied by a shark as he crossed the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand last week.

However, he soon realised he had also been joined on the 26km swim by a pod of dolphins, which appeared to be protecting him.