Experience Dubai
With its incredible beaches, unrivalled safety and kids clubs, Dubai is a perfect family holiday destination. One of the best activities for kids and adults alike is the dolphin encounter at Dolphin Bay at Atlantis, The Palm. We caught up with British Dolphin Trainer Ben Fowler from Brighton to find out more.
What do visitors get out of the dolphin experience?
Interacting with a dolphin is a once in a lifetime experience. We give every guest a personal experience with our dolphins that they will remember forever, while also being educational and fun.
What is your typical work day?
One of the best things about working with animals is that every day is different! A lot of work goes into making sure our dolphins are given the best quality food and are living in a pristine environment. We start with a daily physical exam of all our dolphins to make sure the animals are all in excellent condition. The rest of the day will be a mixture of interactions with guests, behaviours with the dolphins, more cleaning and preparing buckets of fish.
Have you met any celebrities in your job?
We have had many celebrities come to meet the dolphins since we opened including David Beckham, Roger Federer, Kylie Minogue and Hugh Grant.
Give us a surprising dolphin fact
Dolphins have an extra sense called echolocation. It works very similar to sonar in submarines. Using this extra sense, dolphins can locate prey, avoid danger and navigate even if they are in murky water or in the dark.
Are there educational and conservational aspects to the programme?
At Dolphin Bay, our interactions are centred around education and we also have a complimentary on site education centre that is open to all visitors. We make sure every guest comes away with a new found appreciation of the dolphins and a desire to learn more and help protect these animals.
The Dubai Dolphin Encounter activity for guests and non-guests starts from £30 per adult and £25 per child and can be booked either at the hotel reception or in Aquaventure. You can get a flavour of the Dolphin Bay experience by visiting our You Tube page.
Top Ten Animal Experiences in Dubai
Dubai is unique for offering a great variety of truly memorable animal experiences that children and kids at heart will treasure.
We’ve listed 10 of the best below that will not only entertain the little ones but also educate and inspire them:
1, Watch turtles be prepared for release into the wild at the Jumeirah Turtle Rehabilitation Project
2, Swim and play with dolphins at Dolphin Bay (Atlantis, The Palm)
3, Cuddle a camel at Jebel Ali’s Al Sahra Desert Resort
4, Feed the graceful stingrays at The Lost Chambers (Atlantis, The Palm)
5, Swim with horses at Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa
6, See magnificent falconry displays in the desert
7, Watch the thrilling horse racing at Meydan
8, Spot Arabian Oryx in the desert
9, Cage dive with sharks at Dubai Aquarium (age 10+)
10, Dive and experience the Arabian Gulf’s rich marine life (age 8+)
The diversity of these amazing animal encounters in dubai are within only an hour of each other, plus other world-class family activities such as water parks and kids clubs, shows that Dubai can provide a great family holiday.