# Saltwater Surfing School

An episode of [Animal Tales: The Kids' Story Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1644596989), 5 Oct 2025, 18 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67920748/at431_saltwatersurfingschool_mixdown.mp3

An inexperienced warthog enters a surfing competition with the help of a saltwater crocodile. Written especially for this podcast by Alice. If you enjoyed this story, please do leave us a review. And, if you'd like to suggest an animal for a future Animal Tales story, you can do so by emailing podcast@animaltales.uk. We would love to hear from you. Animal Tales Books! Collections of Animal Tales children’s stories are available to buy exclusively at Amazon. Simply search for Animal Tales Short Stories or follow this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CLJQZ9C9?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_sirpi Become a PREMIUM Subscriber You can now enjoy Animal Tales by becoming a Premium Subscriber. This gets you: • All episodes in our catalogue advert free • Bonus Premium-only episodes (one per week) which will never be used on the main podcast • We guarantee to use one of your animal suggestions in a story You can sign up through Apple Podcasts or through Supercast and there are both monthly and yearly plans available. Discover a brand new story every Monday, Wednesday and Friday – just for you! You can find more Animal Tales at www.animaltales.uk A Note About The Adverts In order to allow us to make these stories we offer a premium subscription and run adverts. The adverts are not chosen by us, but played automatically depending on the platform you listen through (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc) and the country you live in. The adverts may even be different if you listen to the story twice. We have had a handful of instances where an advert has played that is not suitable for a family audience, despite the podcast clearly being labelled for children. If you’re concerned about an advert you hear, please contact the platform you are listening to directly. Spotify, in particular, has proven problematic in the past, for both inappropriate adverts and the volume at which the adverts play. If you find this happening, please let Spotify know via their Facebook customer care page. As creators, we want your child’s experience to be a pleasurable one. Running adverts is necessary to allow us to operate, but please do consider the premium subscription service as an alternative – it’s advert free.

## Transcript

[0:12] Speaker 1: Yea, hello. My name's Josephine and this is the Animal
[0:18] Speaker 1: Tales podcast, where you suggest the animals featured in our stories.
[0:22] Speaker 1: There are new tales to enjoy every Monday and Wednesday,
[0:25] Speaker 1: with a third premium only story every Friday. Our Animal
[0:30] Speaker 1: Tales short story books are available on Amazon, collecting your
[0:34] Speaker 1: favorite stories to help encourage reading. If you've bought a book,
[0:39] Speaker 1: please leave an Amazon review if you can, it would
[0:41] Speaker 1: be a great help. Hunter is from New South Wales
[0:46] Speaker 1: in Australia, and he is asked for a story featuring
[0:49] Speaker 1: a wart hog and a saltwater crocodile. You can learn
[0:53] Speaker 1: more about these creatures in the Animal facts after the story. Okay,
[0:58] Speaker 1: are you ready? Good? Then I'll begin salt water Surfing School.
[1:07] Speaker 1: Just off the coast of Bell's Beach, Australia, a large
[1:11] Speaker 1: saltwater crocodile lay floating in the water. His name was Hunter,
[1:16] Speaker 1: and with the sun warming his back and the sea
[1:19] Speaker 1: cooling his belly, he was feeling perfectly relaxed. Of course,
[1:25] Speaker 1: these things never last for long. Sudden shouting from the
[1:29] Speaker 1: beach made him open one eye. There was a kangaroo
[1:33] Speaker 1: there calling to the handful of animals enjoying the seaside.
[1:38] Speaker 1: The kangaroo was beside a sign that read Bell's Beach
[1:42] Speaker 1: Surfing Competition. Hunter let out a groan. The one day
[1:48] Speaker 1: he chosen to visit the beach was the same day
[1:51] Speaker 1: as a noisy surfing event. At the moment, though the
[1:56] Speaker 1: beach was reasonably quiet, Hunter decided he could afford to
[2:00] Speaker 1: stay out on the water a little longer. He wouldn't
[2:04] Speaker 1: be troubled by surfers just yet. Glancing down his long
[2:09] Speaker 1: crocodile nose towards the beach, he could see the kangaroo
[2:13] Speaker 1: attempting to get any animal who walked by to sign
[2:16] Speaker 1: up for the competition. There were already some excited creatures
[2:21] Speaker 1: burrowing boards to practice on. Then Hunter's attention was caught
[2:27] Speaker 1: by an unfamiliar animal trotting onto the sand. It looked
[2:31] Speaker 1: like a brown, hairy pig, two large curving teeth stuck
[2:36] Speaker 1: out of each side of its mouth. Hunter had never
[2:40] Speaker 1: seen an animal like it before. As the saltwater crocodile watched,
[2:45] Speaker 1: the newcomer on the beach was stopped by the kangaroo.
[2:49] Speaker 1: They chatted for a moment before the kangaroo passed the
[2:53] Speaker 1: animal a surfboard. Hunter watched as the strange animal sprinted
[2:58] Speaker 1: into the water, looking excited. Just another surfer here to
[3:04] Speaker 1: ruin my peace and quiet, sighed Hunter as he lazily
[3:09] Speaker 1: drifted on the surface. And yet, despite his frustration, the
[3:15] Speaker 1: crocodile couldn't stop watching this pig like animal. He was
[3:19] Speaker 1: awkwardly belly shuffling onto his surfboard, then very wobbly getting
[3:25] Speaker 1: to his feet. No sooner had he done so when
[3:28] Speaker 1: a wave promptly swept him off again. Hunter chuckled at
[3:33] Speaker 1: the funny scene before him, until he realized, with mounting concern,
[3:38] Speaker 1: that the mysterious animal appeared to be struggling. There was
[3:43] Speaker 1: lots of splashing going on as if he was in trouble. Fortunately,
[3:48] Speaker 1: saltwater crocodiles have powerful tails, meaning Hunter was able to
[3:53] Speaker 1: race forwards to the rescue. He reached the animal just
[3:58] Speaker 1: as he disappeared beneath the surf Diving beneath him, Hunter
[4:03] Speaker 1: was able to lift him out of the water and
[4:05] Speaker 1: on to his board. The animal coughed and spluttered, then
[4:10] Speaker 1: took a deep, shaky breath. Oh thank you, he panted,
[4:17] Speaker 1: You've saved my bacon. Happy to help, Hunter replied but
[4:24] Speaker 1: be more careful next time. I'll try. The animal responded,
[4:30] Speaker 1: This is a lot harder than it looks on TV.
[4:34] Speaker 1: Are you saying you've never surfed before? Hunter asked, in surprise. Nope,
[4:40] Speaker 1: the animal answered cheerfully, it's my first time. I've never
[4:45] Speaker 1: even been in the ocean before to day, I guess
[4:48] Speaker 1: you can tell that I'm not much of a swimmer.
[4:52] Speaker 1: I'm not sure you being out on the ocean is
[4:54] Speaker 1: such a good idea, said Hunter. Why are you even
[4:59] Speaker 1: here if you can't surf? The name's Water, said the
[5:04] Speaker 1: pig like creature happily. I'm a wart hog from Kenya
[5:08] Speaker 1: in Africa. I came here because I've always wanted to
[5:11] Speaker 1: visit Australia. I hadn't planned to try surfing, but that
[5:16] Speaker 1: kangaroo made it sound so easy, So here I am, Water, said,
[5:21] Speaker 1: wobbling on his surfboard. I thought I could at least
[5:25] Speaker 1: give it a go. That's awfully brave of you, Hunter replied,
[5:31] Speaker 1: But surfing can be risky, especially if you don't know
[5:34] Speaker 1: how to swim. I hate to say it, but going
[5:38] Speaker 1: straight into a competition might not have been the best
[5:41] Speaker 1: of ideas. I really think you should consider dropping out,
[5:45] Speaker 1: you could still practice for fun in the shallow water.
[5:50] Speaker 1: Perhaps you're right, the wart hog said, as he looked
[5:54] Speaker 1: down into the deep water. I'll just have to waste
[5:58] Speaker 1: the one hundred dollars I paid to enter. One hundred dollars.
[6:04] Speaker 1: The crocodile gasped. That's a lot. Can't you ask for
[6:08] Speaker 1: your money back? The kangaroo said, no refunds, She said,
[6:14] Speaker 1: all the money goes to the winner. Walter continued, apart
[6:18] Speaker 1: from second place, they get their entrance fee return to them.
[6:24] Speaker 1: That kangaroo should never have taken money from someone so inexperienced,
[6:29] Speaker 1: frowned Hunter, disapprovingly. You're just going to have to reach
[6:33] Speaker 1: second place me, The wartthole gasped, second place. How you
[6:41] Speaker 1: saw how bad I was, and you just said surfing
[6:45] Speaker 1: was risky, and then I should drop out? I know,
[6:50] Speaker 1: nodded Hunter, which is why I'm going to teach you.
[6:54] Speaker 1: You won't be perfect, but I should be able to
[6:57] Speaker 1: show you the basics in no time. Excited, the wartthog
[7:02] Speaker 1: happily agreed. Although Hunter hadn't been looking to the surfing competition,
[7:08] Speaker 1: spoiling his quiet relaxation, it didn't mean that he didn't
[7:12] Speaker 1: know a thing or two about catching a wave. First
[7:16] Speaker 1: of all, let's sort out how you stand. Hunter instructed,
[7:21] Speaker 1: plant your feet, bend your knees slightly, and don't be
[7:25] Speaker 1: afraid to move with the board. The warthog did as instructed.
[7:31] Speaker 1: It didn't take him long to improve his balance. Water
[7:35] Speaker 1: was a quick learner. Even so, Hunter had to fish
[7:40] Speaker 1: him out of the water a few times, But the
[7:43] Speaker 1: wart hog was getting used to that too, perfecting a
[7:46] Speaker 1: kind of doggy paddle. Soon he was able to stay
[7:50] Speaker 1: upright on the board despite the rolling waves. While the
[7:55] Speaker 1: wart hog practiced, Hunter took a moment to look at
[7:59] Speaker 1: the other competitor. It seemed that the kangaroo had only
[8:03] Speaker 1: attracted passers by so the animals were almost as wobbly
[8:07] Speaker 1: on their boards as Water. It would seem that this
[8:11] Speaker 1: competition might end up being for beginners only. Do you
[8:16] Speaker 1: think we've got time to get some lunch before the
[8:19] Speaker 1: competition starts, Water asked, let's go and find out, Hunter replied,
[8:26] Speaker 1: encouraging the warthog to paddle his board back to shore,
[8:31] Speaker 1: leaving Hunter in the water. Water trotted across the sand
[8:35] Speaker 1: to the kangaroo and soon established that there was plenty
[8:38] Speaker 1: of time. Yet you coming, asked the wart hog, pointing
[8:43] Speaker 1: towards a beachside cafe. You go ahead, replied Hunter. I'll
[8:49] Speaker 1: wait for you here. The other competitors soon worked out
[8:54] Speaker 1: what Water was doing, and within five minutes they joined him,
[8:58] Speaker 1: leaving the water in empty all except for Hunter. That is,
[9:04] Speaker 1: the saltwater croc was floating with just his eyes and
[9:07] Speaker 1: nose above the surface. It wasn't likely that the warthog
[9:12] Speaker 1: would be good enough to get to second place, which
[9:15] Speaker 1: meant he may not get his money back at all,
[9:18] Speaker 1: but Hunter was at least pleased with his progress so far.
[9:22] Speaker 1: The kangaroo was on the move. With all the competitors
[9:26] Speaker 1: out of the way, she was heading for the water
[9:29] Speaker 1: with her own surfboard. She hopped on to her board
[9:33] Speaker 1: with ease. Her large feet and strong tail gave her
[9:38] Speaker 1: excellent balance. She hadn't seen Hunter was watching her as
[9:43] Speaker 1: she surfed the waves like a professional. It's a scam.
[9:48] Speaker 1: Hunter realized, she's got all these non surfers to sign
[9:53] Speaker 1: up and hand over one hundred dollars. If she enters too,
[9:58] Speaker 1: she'll hop away with all the money. If this was true,
[10:03] Speaker 1: he had to do something about it. Luckily, the kangaroo
[10:08] Speaker 1: hadn't spotted him, which meant that he could use that
[10:12] Speaker 1: to his advantage. An hour later, Water was back in
[10:17] Speaker 1: the water being coached by Hunter. The crocodile was keeping
[10:22] Speaker 1: low in the water out of sight, but that didn't
[10:25] Speaker 1: mean he couldn't talk to his new pupil. Are you sure,
[10:30] Speaker 1: Water gasped when Hunter explained what he thought was going
[10:34] Speaker 1: to happen. That's awful, I agree, Hunter replied, which means
[10:41] Speaker 1: you're not going to come second. You're going to come
[10:45] Speaker 1: first instead first, yelped the warthog. That's right, said Hunter, confidently.
[10:54] Speaker 1: It's the only way to stop her stuffing all the
[10:56] Speaker 1: winnings into her pouch. But I'm not good enough, wailed Water.
[11:03] Speaker 1: I'll fall off my board, I know it. Forget your surfboard,
[11:09] Speaker 1: Hunter said, calmly, I'll be your board for the competition.
[11:15] Speaker 1: The warthog stared at him like you'd grown two heads.
[11:19] Speaker 1: You be a surfboard. It'll work, Hunter insisted. My back
[11:26] Speaker 1: is bumpy, so you won't slip off easily, and I
[11:30] Speaker 1: can control where we go. All you have to do
[11:34] Speaker 1: is balance. At that moment, Walter spotted the kangaroo giggling
[11:40] Speaker 1: to herself that was enough to make up his mind.
[11:45] Speaker 1: All right, he said, let's do this. An announcement was
[11:50] Speaker 1: made that the competition was starting. Twelve animals lined up
[11:55] Speaker 1: excitedly along the beach, each apart from the kangaroo, clutching
[12:00] Speaker 1: their burrowed boards. Behind them, a small crowd had gathered
[12:04] Speaker 1: to watch. The aim of the game was simple. If
[12:09] Speaker 1: you fell off of your board, you were out. The
[12:12] Speaker 1: last animal standing would be the winner. If anyone was
[12:17] Speaker 1: paying attention, they'd have seen that the kangaroo was looking
[12:20] Speaker 1: extremely smug. A whistle sounded to signal the start of
[12:26] Speaker 1: the competition. The twelve animals ran for the water, clutching
[12:30] Speaker 1: their boards and ran in. As soon as water was
[12:35] Speaker 1: deep enough, He released his board, pushing it away just
[12:39] Speaker 1: as he felt Hunter's rough back float up beneath him.
[12:43] Speaker 1: All of a sudden, Walter was balancing alongside the eleven
[12:48] Speaker 1: other animals. Remember what I taught you, Hunter, whispered, plant
[12:55] Speaker 1: your feet, bend your knees slightly, and don't be afraid
[12:59] Speaker 1: to move the board. And by board, you mean you,
[13:05] Speaker 1: whispered back water, showing that he'd understood. The first wave
[13:11] Speaker 1: was already approaching, and it was the biggest water had
[13:14] Speaker 1: ever experienced. The kangaroo handled it with ease, while not
[13:20] Speaker 1: far away. Water held his breath, but he didn't need
[13:24] Speaker 1: to worry. Hunter moved with the ocean, helping to keep
[13:28] Speaker 1: the warthog balanced. Two other competitors weren't so lucky, tumbling
[13:34] Speaker 1: into the water. The next wave was quickly upon them.
[13:39] Speaker 1: Water handled it more confidently this time, and yet more
[13:43] Speaker 1: animals fell into the sea. It wasn't long until only
[13:48] Speaker 1: Water and the kangaroo remained. You're doing great, water, Hunter whispered.
[13:56] Speaker 1: The kangaroo keeps moving closer to us. Water applied. She
[14:01] Speaker 1: looks annoyed. You've given her a shock. Hunter whispered back,
[14:07] Speaker 1: You're doing far better than she thought you would. The
[14:11] Speaker 1: next wave approached, the biggest yet. Walter made sure his
[14:16] Speaker 1: feet were widely spaced and his knees were bent. As
[14:21] Speaker 1: the wave crested, the kangaroo veered sharply towards them. In
[14:26] Speaker 1: that split second, Hunter realized she was planning to knock
[14:31] Speaker 1: Walter into the water. If she were successful, she could
[14:36] Speaker 1: claim the prize for herself. The kangaroo raced up, holding
[14:41] Speaker 1: an arm out to give Walter a shove. Oh no,
[14:46] Speaker 1: you don't, said Hunter to himself from beneath the water.
[14:50] Speaker 1: He flicked his powerful tail, launching Walter upwards with a squeal.
[14:57] Speaker 1: As the warthog flipped through the air, the kangaroo's outstretched
[15:01] Speaker 1: arm had nothing to connect to, causing her to topple
[15:05] Speaker 1: forwards from the beach. The onlookers watched as the kangaroo
[15:10] Speaker 1: plunged into the water just as Water completed his flip
[15:15] Speaker 1: to land perfectly on his board. The crowd erupted into
[15:21] Speaker 1: cheers as Hunter drifted into the shallow water. Water hopped off,
[15:27] Speaker 1: allowing Hunter to submerge and swim away. By the time
[15:32] Speaker 1: the sopping wet kangaroo stomped out of the water, Hunter
[15:36] Speaker 1: had joined the crowd on the beach. Here snapped the kangaroo,
[15:42] Speaker 1: handing over the entry money that she'd collected. I guess
[15:46] Speaker 1: you win, thanks, Water said gleefully. But I didn't take
[15:53] Speaker 1: part for the money. The kangaroo watched, looking appalled, as
[15:58] Speaker 1: the warthog went around handing the money back to the competitors.
[16:04] Speaker 1: That was a kind thing to do, Hunter said, once
[16:07] Speaker 1: the wart hog was finished, it was the right thing
[16:11] Speaker 1: to do. Water replied, and now I'd like to use
[16:16] Speaker 1: my one hundred dollars to take you to dinner as
[16:19] Speaker 1: a thank you for everything you did today. I would
[16:23] Speaker 1: never have won without you. Then I accept smiled Hunter,
[16:29] Speaker 1: all that surfing has left me with quite an appetite.
[16:38] Speaker 1: Animal fact. Warthogs are a kind of pig found in
[16:42] Speaker 1: central and southern Africa. The warty part of their name
[16:47] Speaker 1: refers to the wattles or fleshy lumps on their faces.
[16:53] Speaker 1: Male warthogs can grow impressive tusks up to sixty five
[16:56] Speaker 1: centimeters long that's twenty five inches. For the most part,
[17:01] Speaker 1: they are herbivores, but like other pigs, they will eat
[17:05] Speaker 1: meat on occasion. Salt water crocodiles are the largest reptiles
[17:10] Speaker 1: currently on Earth, reaching six meters that's twenty feet. They
[17:16] Speaker 1: will eat anything they can catch, including humans and even sharks.
[17:23] Speaker 1: Thank you for your suggestions, Hunter, We hope you enjoyed it,
[17:26] Speaker 1: and thank you to all of you across the world
[17:29] Speaker 1: for listening to it. If you prefer your stories advert free,
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[17:39] Speaker 1: Find out how in the text that accompanies this episode.
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[17:47] Speaker 1: time for another great animal tale. Good Bye,

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