Title: Shark!
By: Cathy Free
Gist of the article:
Silver fog blanketed California’s Monterey Bay on a late August morning last year. For Todd Endris, it was a perfect end-of-summer day for surfing. Resting 70metres from shore on his board, he turned to watch his friend Brain Simpsom glide under the curve of a near-perfect wave. Suddenly Endris was hit from below and catapulted 4.5 meters in the air. Landing headfirst in the water, he felt his pulse quicken. Within seconds, he was hit again. An enormous great white shark had him in his jaws, its teeth had him dug into his back.
With a burst of adrenaline, Endris thrust his head above the water gasping for air. The great white shark still had a hold on his upper thigh. Endris figured that his leg was gone, but he couldn’t think about that right then. He harnesses all his strength to kick the shark repeatedly in the face with his free leg. The great white shark shot out of water, thrashing Endris like a wet towel. When the shark released him, Endris found himself surrounded by dolphins which had form a protective wall between him and the shark.
After the incident that the dolphins protected him, he hoped to do his part to protect them by joining several organizations dedicated to their preservation. He wants his story to be heard and want everyone to know how remarkable dolphins are.
“They’re as smart as humans, and I believe they’re capable of empathy. When I was attacked, maybe they were trying to protect their young or acting on instinct. But they drove the shark away. If they hadn’t, there is no doubt in my mind it would come back.”
Reflections:
In this world, anything could happen. In this case, animal instinct was what that saved Todd Endris’s life. Over the years, there had been many stories of dolphins coming to the rescue of human beings. Their ability to help humans fight off sharks and save people from danger had let me ponder on what actions could be taken to preserve these wonderful creatures.
It is a daily common practice in Taiji, Japan, where dolphins are herded into small coves and slaughter to be sold at fish markets. Endris had use his story to tell the whole world, to touch the hearts of many in the whole world that we should care for other animal species. Endris’s grateful sprit, unwavering enthusiasm and passion towards protecting dolphins species from being slaughtered is worthy of us to learn from. Therefore, I feel that it is important for us at a young age to cultivate this ideology to help protect animals’ species especially those that are at the brink of extinction.
Endris has various good values that we could learn from. Despite all had happen, he still returned to the waters 6 weeks after the attack. His determination, perseverance and brave attitude towards life is really touching.
You should read this article to know more……and let his story touch you!
By: Chan Jian Da
1 comment:
Hmm...so what exactly do you think is the main purpose of the article? Is it to let Endris good values come through or is there a deeper meaning or purpose to this?
Post a Comment