Diving with Dolphins

The photo above shows a dolphin that swims on its back

From Jordan to Egypt

After a beautiful day in Petra in Jordan I travelled back from Wadi Musa to Dahab in Egypt. The ferry across the Red Sea on the outbound journey from Egypt to Jordan had cost me a full day, US$ 70 for a first class ticket and a lot of patience. As a result I decided to go back to Egypt using the alternative, cheaper and quicker route through Israel. However, this is only possible if the visit to Egypt is limited to the Sinai peninsula, since the authorities at the Egyptian border in Taba issue a Sinai-only visa. I had vaguely heard about a place called Dolphin Reef in Israel and decided to stop there on my way back.

I checked out of Petra Gate Hotel early in the morning and caught the minibus from Wadi Musa to Aqaba (2 hours, JD4). Here, I took a taxi to the Israeli border which is located on a remote stretch of desert a few kilometres out of town. I paid the exit tax (JD14), left Jordan on foot and walked through no man's land to the Israeli Yitzhak Rabin crossing, some 200m away. The immigration procedure was thorough and efficient and ended with the offer to call a taxi for me. I accepted since the Yitzhak Rabin crossing is as remote as its Jordanian counterpart.

The taxi took me to and through Israel's only city along the Red Sea coast, Eilat. We continued a bit further along the coast until we arrived at Dolphin Reef. The 15 minutes minute taxi ride cost me ILS 28.

Dolphin Reef

Dolphin Reef is home to some 10 bottlenose dolphins, three of them were just one year old when I was there. Adult bottlenose dolphins range from 2 to 4 metres in length and weigh between 200 and 500kg. They swim with a typical speed of 5 to 10 kph but are able to reach peak speeds of 35 kph. The dolphins have to rise to the surface to breathe through their blowhole roughly every 5 minutes. They are known for their curiosity towards humans in water as I could experience myself. When I studied the ticket prices I learnt that it was not only possible to watch dolphins - it was also possible to snorkel or even dive with them. I chose the latter which set me back ILS 274.

I showed up at the counter of the diving centre and was given the necessary equipment before I was introduced to Tal who would be my guide for the dive. She gave me a 20 minute briefing on dolphins, Dolphin Reef and obviously our dive which would last some 30 minutes. We put on our diving gear and walked to the beach. Once we were in the water and ready to go we went down to 8m. The visibility was excellent and there were just the two of us in the water however we didn't spot any dolphins straight away. But suddenly they were everywhere. They swam past us both horizontally and vertically, fast and slow. They shot up to the surface, some of them leaping out of the water and falling back in again. The three baby dolphins kept close to their mothers, however sometimes they too were curious and came quite close. We could also hear the distinct clicks and whistles of the dolphins. Being so close to these fascinating mammals was a magnificent experience.

The dive was over far too quickly and we had to make our way back to the beach whilst a few dolphins followed us. Just before reaching the beach one single dolphin swam towards me upside down - belly facing skywards - as if to show off. This one came closest of all and swam past me within less than half a meter - a breathtaking moment. When we arrived at the beach and stood waist-deep in water the dolphins were still around us. Their silver fins cut through the blue, sun-lit water just metres away. Their impressive size and their elegant movements made it a wonderful experience to watch them in their natural surrounding.

Once out of the water, I had lunch at the cafeteria before making my way to the floating pier. Here, it was also possible to watch the dolphins. I spent the rest of the afternoon on the pier and watched the dolphins for hours. It was only just before sunset that I left and headed for the Egyptian border which was only 6km away.

I arrived at the border after a short and cheap taxi ride (NIS 15). A few stamps and another exit tax later I was back in Egypt. I couldn't find any reason to stay in the border town Taba and negotiated a deal for a taxi ride to Dahab (LE 200). Back in Dahab, I went to one of my favourite restaurants at the beach front and had a decent seafood dinner beside an open fire. A wonderful day came to its end and I was now really looking forward to do some more diving during the next couple of days in Dahab.

I returned to Dolphin Reef on 8 March 2008 after visiting Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea. This time I had pre-booked the dive online and saved some 10% on the price (NIS 265).

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