This is a photo of Pelorus Jack.
He was a dolphin that used to guide ships through an extremely dangerous channel in New Zealand. First appearing in 1888, Jack escorted ships for the next 24 years.
If the crew did not see Jack, they would wait for him to appear. He guided ships through the narrow channel by swimming alongside them for approximately 20 minutes. There were no shipwrecks under his watch.
In 1904, a sailor onboard the SS Penguin tried to shoot Jack with a rifle. Jack survived the ordeal and continued to guide all ships except for the SS Penguin. After the incident, a law was put in place by the government of New Zealand to protect Jack.
Jack was last seen in 1912. Some have speculated that he was killed by whalers while others believe that he washed up on a beach and died. At the time of his disappearance, he was 24 years of age and most likely died of old age.
P.S.
In 1909, the SS Penguin sank after hitting a rock in poor weather conditions. 75 people drowned and only 30 survived. It was New Zealand’s worst maritime disaster of the 20th century.
