While finishing the last leg of the Oceans Seven swim, Adam Walker nearly didn't make it to the end. Thankfully, a group of dolphins rescued him from the unsuspecting danger, and since then, he's lived to tell his story to other hopeful free-swimmers. He hasn't slowed down since the near-death situation...
The Oceans Seven Marathon
Adam Walker was a skilled distance swimmer, and one of the only to complete the Oceans Seven Marathon. It's a dangerous event that requires completing free-swims across all seven seas. His final swim was the Cook Strait, which posed some unexpected threats...
Several Close Calls
Walker was no stranger to the dangers of the ocean—choppy waves, intense currents, sharks, dolphins, jellyfish, you name it. He knew the difference between observing marine life from afar and coming face to face with sea creatures in open water...
Portuguese Man O' War
Walker recalled one encounter with a dangerous jellyfish, the Portuguese Man O' War, which is as venomous as a cobra. When he was stung, he couldn't feel his spine for five minutes. He had to keep swimming to finish the event, even though he was certain he'd been paralyzed...
More Dangerous At Night
During a swim in the Catalina Channel, Walker had to make half the journey in complete darkness. While he was freezing and sick, he persevered even though he was completely surrounded by darkness. He had no choice but to keep swimming or else he'd drown...
Sharks Are a Regular Occurrence
Walker encountered a shark in the Tsugaru Channel in Japan. To make things worse, the current was picking up, and he had to sprint for 11 hours against 12-foot waves. Outswimming a shark wasn't even the worst thing he'd ever done, though...
Subzero Temperatures
The waters between Ireland and Scotland in the North Channel are notoriously the most difficult in the world. He knew that he'd be in for the test of a lifetime if he took on this challenge. Along with freezing temperatures, Walker also had to face off against a wall of lion's mane jellyfish...
The Final Strait
In 2014, Walker took on the Cook Strait. The waters between the North and South Islands of New Zealand are known to be the most unpredictable waters in the world. During the swim, Walker felt anxious, because he had no idea what was about to happen before he reached the finish line...
A Nearby Fin
About three hours into the swim, Walker saw a fin swim past him. Then, he felt the creature dive beneath him. He was scared - was he being pursued?
It Wasn't Just a Dolphin
Thankfully, it seemed like Walker was just swimming with a school of dolphins. They seemed harmless, and he was pretty relieved to have them close by. However, the reason they were tailing him wasn't just because they were curious...
Don't Look Down
Suddenly, Walker felt the need to look down. While he knew he was at risk of seeing a shark on any part of his swim, he hadn't expected to see one so close to him. It was right beneath him. He had no way of escaping without startling it...
Remaining Calm
Walker decided to stay in the water. If he radioed to his team, they'd make him get back on the boat, and he would have sacrificed his time. He didn't tell them about the shark. Instead, he remained calm, trusted the dolphins around him, and kept swimming...
He'd Been In This Position Before
Having done this before, Walking knew the best solution was to ignore the shark completely. Of course, that was easier said than done. He felt anxious, swimming so close to a deadly shark and dolphins who seemed to be looking out for him. What if there was an altercation?
What Lies Beneath
Thankfully, the shark appeared to get bored and swam off. Walker wondered if it really was because he hadn't reacted to its presence. His team could easily see the pod of dolphins, and they assumed that was why he'd been acting so strange for the last couple minutes...
Safe For Now
The dolphins followed Walker all the way to the finish line. It was a completely unreal experience, something he'd never dealt with before. They'd really been looking out for him. It had been enough of a morale boost to finish the race without completely losing steam...
His 9 to 5
Before he was a swimmer, Walker had pursued a career in sales. He'd earned a respectable title as a national salesman, thanks to his dedicated and easy-going nature. He was a top earner in his company, and even though he made an honest living, he wasn't totally satisfied...
His Inspiration
What inspired Walker to initially take up free-swimming was the film, "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever," about a man who decided to swim the English Channel. It changed his whole outlook on life, and he decided he was going to do the same.
Dedicated to Training
Walker was committed to completing the English Channel swim. First, he had to increase his workout routine. He knew it would be intense, but it was a necessary lifestyle change. He also had to mentally prepare himself to face the cold waters...
Oceans Seven
In July 2008, Walker did it. He swam the English Channel just like he said he would. He felt sick from the swells, the freezing temperatures, and the choppy waters. Despite the difficulties, he was determined to make this his living and not get deterred by the challenges...
Feeling the Love
Walker finished the Cook Strait swim in eight hours. He took to Facebook to thank his friends and family and followers for all their support. He told the unbelievable, life-threatening story about the pod of dolphins, and it blew up. He recalled the most difficult swim of his life...
A New Technique
During his first long-distance swim, Walker ruptured a tendon in his arm. He had to come up with a new stroke on the spot if he was going to finish. His normal stroke irritated his injury, so he came up with a new method that involved his core muscles...
Ocean Walker LTD
Because Walker no longer works sales, he and his girlfriend came up with a new business, the Ocean Walker LTD. He coaches swimmers of all ages and abilities to swim long distances in enclosed or open waters. It's his new joy in life when he isn't on huge expeditions...
A Motivational Speaker
Another outlet for Walker's budding career is motivational speaking. He is passionate about talking about his swims, his business, and his travel experiences. The favorite story he tells is still the one about the pod of dolphins, and fans love to hear about the near-death experience...
Man VS Ocean
Walker's book, "Man vs. Ocean" was published in 2016, and it talks about his life journey in the treacherous waters and the obstacles he overcame, such as injuries and dangerous animals. It was Amazon's bestselling sports autobiography for a time.
Walker's Story Isn't Unique
Walker's experience of being protected by dolphins happens frequently. There are ancient stories of dolphins guiding sailors to safety. Dolphins also have a natural instinct to protect other sea creatures in distress, like injured whales.
Spotting Dolphins Is Common
Fisherman Gran Dickson's trawling boat was overturned by a huge wave off the coast of Australia. He was severely injured and stranded in the water, and a group of sharks had started to circle, waiting for their next meal. A pod of dolphins arrived to scare the sharks away, just like they had with Walker.
Todd Endris's Story
In August 2007, Todd Endris was attacked by a shark off the coast of Monterey, California. The 15-foot great white bit him twice, and he lost nearly half his blood. He was close to death when a group of dolphins appeared and chased the shark off in time for Endris to get help.
Natural Protectors
A young woman in New Zealand was out to sea for a training exercise when a great white shark started circling her. Though she wasn't injured, she was terrified for her life. Dolphins saw and started splashing around the swimmer, distracting the sharks so they'd eventually leave. They even created a barrier around her so the shark couldn't hurt her.
Not The Ideal Tourist Trap
While on a tour of Israel in 1996, a group of tourists was watching a pod of dolphins swim from a boat when one person fell into the water. They were surrounded by sharks almost immediately. The dolphins, who were still close, surrounded the man and scared the sharks away until the man could be rescued.
Bethany Hamilton's Story
In 2003, surfer Bethany Hamilton was attacked by a shark that bit off nearly her entire left arm. Unfortunately, there were no dolphins to scare the shark away during her attack, and her fellow surfers hadn't been enough to keep the shark at bay either. Thankfully, she's a success story regarding rehabilitation and getting back in the water, something that most people wouldn't do...
A True Survivor
Since her attack, Hamilton has been the face of surfing. Her life was made into a movie in the mid-2000s starring Anna Sophia Robb. Since then, she's gotten married and had two children, and still surfs competitively.