EXPERT SAYS DOLPHINS PROBABLY HELPED ELIAN GONZALEZ

EXPERT SAYS DOLPHINS PROBABLY HELPED ELIAN GONZALEZ

HILO, Hawaii (Wireless Flash) -- Little Elian Gonzalez' claim that dolphins protected him while he was lost at sea may sound crazy -- but it rings true to a dolphin researcher in Hilo, Hawaii. In his recent interview on "Good Morning America," 6-year-old Elian told Diane Sawyer that dolphins protected him from drowning by pushing him back on his inner tube whenever he lost his grip. According to dolphin expert Ilona Selke, dolphins often come to the rescue of humans who are drowning or shipwrecked and have a special affinity for children. Selke claims the bond created between dolphins and humans is so strong that if Elian ever goes back to that part of the sea, the dolphins will probably recognize him and express their joy by jumping out of the water in glee.