Swim with the Dolphins at Dolphin Reef, Eilat
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Among the few people not to have been surprised to hear of a woman exchanging vows with a dolphin in the Red Sea resort of Eilat will be those who have already visited Dolphin Reef.
This is, after all, one of the most romantic beaches in the world, and those smiley, super-sensitive mammals have a well-documented ability to empathise with the needy and neurotic that leaves mere mortals standing in the shade.
A recent visit to this most idyllic of seaside haunts revealed that a number of single and/or divorced women return year after year to swim with the dolphins. Those whose hairdoos won’t stand a dousing commune with the highly intelligent creatures from a comfy perch on the jetty around which they leap and bob playfully all day long.
Even without the aquatic cabaret, the beach would have a magical ambience, enriched as it is by a clutch of cats and chickens which manage somehow not to have any adverse impact on the clean, super-soft white sands. But the raison d’être of a visit is to swim among the dolphins in a natural off-shore enclosure, and staff are particularly helpful and welcoming to first-time snorkelers who may need a bit of encouragement and TLC.
The caring attitude comes out of the fact Dolphin Reef is a therapeutic as well as touristic institution. Work is done with sick, autistic and emotionally disturbed children, who find the fishy presence calming and helpful to their attention span. The “supportive experience with the aid of dolphins” programme is considered of most benefit to six-to-16-year-olds, many of whom come for a recommended two weeks every two months for four-times-weekly sessions.
Adult options are to snorkel in groups of three maximum, with a guide, or scuba to a depth of 14 metres. Qualifications are required for the latter, but an introductory scuba dive among the dolphins with a private instructor is also offered. One of the nicest aspects of the diving options is that the disabled are welcomed - instructors are qualified in assisting them.
You don’t need to be an animal or even a beach person to love this place - another option is a 90-minute session in a lush botanical garden equipped with seawater and fresh rainwater pools. Whichever way you do it, Dolphin Reef offers a glorious long moment removed from the resort bustle of Eilat, and there must be many visitors who invest in more than a single day-trip during their stay.
On South Beach, not far from Dolphin Reef is the Snuba Centre, where new divers can hone their skills. Snuba, schmuba? It’s a unique system which combines the ease of snorkelling with the ability to remain underwater in which the diver’s air tank remains on a small inflatable boat on the surface attached with a harness to the diver, who tows it along as they swim. An instructor accompanies every two divers on the 75-minute adventure, and the US$40 fee includes the loan of snorkelling equipment for two hours after the dive to make the most of the Red Sea coral and its inhabitants.
Contact tel: +972 8 630 0100, e-mail:
Useful links
Dolphin Reef website
Snuba Centre website
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