A group of rowers training off the coast of Dubai were surprised to encounter a pod of dolphins on December 8. The rowers, who are part of the Brothers Noar Pacific 2023 team, are preparing for a race from California to Hawaii in June 2023.
Paris Norris, host of the television show Guy in Dubai, shared a video of the encounter on his Instagram page. In the video, the dolphins can be seen approaching the boat and even performing acrobatic displays. Norris said he had never seen so many dolphins in the 13 years he has lived in Dubai.
In the caption to the video, Norris wrote, “In our preparation to row across the Pacific Ocean with the @brothersnoarspacific2023 team, our training site in @dubai has turned out to be more than just a training site.” He went on to describe the encounter with the dolphins, saying that the pods were seen close to Dubai’s Kite beach.
“We were accompanied this training session by a pod of over 100 dolphins who were curious about our slickly designed Ocean rowing boat. Maybe even slightly jealous of the aquadynamics, they showed off with some of their acrobatics and joined us for part of our training,” added Norris.
Dolphins are not uncommon in the waters off Dubai, but it is rare to see such a large pod. The encounter with the dolphins was a welcome distraction for the rowers as they continue to train for the grueling race across the Pacific Ocean. Norris and the rest of the Brothers Noar Pacific 2023 team were clearly delighted by the encounter and grateful for the unexpected encounter with the beautiful and graceful creatures.
