KUANTAN, July 23 -- The opportunity to see a pod of dolphins frolicking around a boat became an unforgettable experience for the manager of a tourist resort on Tioman Island, Rompin, about 154 kilometres from here.
Mohd Faisal Safuan Saridan, 38, said video clips of the dolphins which went viral on social media today, was recorded around 12 noon yesterday, when he and his wife and two resort crew boarded a boat from Kampung Tekek to return to Kampung Juara on the island.
"I spotted what looked like a pod of dolphins from afar and immediately decided to try to approach them even though knowing they would most likely swim away. I did not expect there were so many of them, around 20.
"The pod was undisturbed by our presence, instead continued playing under the boat and also followed the boat for more than five minutes before swimming away," he said when contacted by Bernama here today.
Mohd Faisal Safuan, who is a native of Pulau Tioman, said the clear sea water also allowed the dolphins to be distinctly seen when recorded, and, most interestingly, he added, they also responded playfully by giving a nudge when Mohd Faisal and his wife hung their fingers on the surface of the water.
He also admitted that he did not expect the three video clips uploaded on the Juara Mutiara Resort Facebook page and the account of his wife, Nurul Huda Sani, 34, to go viral and received positive reactions from netizens who were also excited to know that dolphins existed at Tioman Island.
"I know dolphins are found in the waters of Tioman Island, but they are very difficult to catch sight of. In fact, this is only the fourth time I have had the opportunity to see the mammals, even though I grew up on the island.
"But, yesterday's incident was the sweetest and the best because of their friendliness and large number. Prior to this, the ones that I spotted while fishing or boating were all from a distance, and they quickly fled when they sensed the presence of a boat," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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