Sept 13, 2005: I recently had the chance to go for the Dolphin Watch trip at the Bahrain Yacht Club, courtesy Gulf Weekly...and must say that I was pleasantly surprised!

In Bahrain, we usually spend most of our time moving from one air-conditioned space to another...so this was a refreshing change - out in the open...in the sweltering Middle Eastern sun...yet cool and relaxed by the sea breezes.


We set out early...about 10am on Friday morning and were accompanied by 7-8 other people on the small boat, besides our cheerful guide. The dolphins are found in the cooler, shallow waters close to the industrial area, and the boat set off at top speed (quite a fun ride!). The guide mentioned that luck would decide what we would spot – sometimes they had encountered upto 10 – 15 dolphins in a group in these waters. And lucky we were…though not in the way described – we spotted a pair of dolphins almost immediately. The more camera-friendly of the passengers (including me) immediately set about the task of taking a good shot or two of these elusive creatures…no simple task, I assure you!

We spent the next half hour gently cruising the shallow waters, searching for, and sometimes following the dolphins frolicking in the clear emerald waters. Our most adventurous travel companion (a lady, of course) slipped into the cool waters for a swim with the dolphins, our guide having mentioned that one could actually hear them underwater. We then cruised on to even shallower waters, to attempt a glimpse of the smaller varieties of marine life and hopefully some manta rays. The sea was quite calm, with very few vessels on the waters, and eventually we made our way back to the Yacht Club…at top speed, of course!

We followed the exciting trip with a lazy lunch at the Yacht Club, sampling the great seafood on offer – the menu features great variety and sensible prices…and the seafood platter is a joyous feast for the marine gourmet. And after this…? Back home to a nice nap, of course…what better way to spend a lazy, enjoyable Friday in Bahrain? The Bahrain Yacht Club hasn’t seen the last of us though!

JJ
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Original Article here

tags: bahrain, manama, dolphin, dolphin-watch, bahrain-yatch-club, yatch-club, boat, tour