A vast pod of dolphins prevented an attack on Chinese merchant ships by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, according to a report from China’s official news agency, Xinhua.

Xinhua said: ‘Chinese merchant ships escorted by a China’s [sic] fleet sailed on the Gulf of Aden when they met some suspected pirate ships. Thousands of dolphins suddenly leaped out of water between pirates and merchants when the pirate ships headed for the China’s [sic].

‘The suspected pirates ships stopped and then turned away. The pirates could only lament their littleness before the vast number of dolphins. The spectacular scene continued for a while.’

No pirates can be seen in photographs released by the news agency.