A gallery of pics from the trip to Dubai in early November with Julie, Eric, Evelyn and Charlotte.
Fall Dubai Trip
Swimming with dolphins at the Atlantis
The Atlantis resort boasts a dolphin habitat called, creatively, Dolphin Bay. Â It offers the opportunity for a variety of experinces ranging from watching dolphins to swimming with them in shallow water all the way up to deep water encounters. Â We opted for the shallow water since Kai and Nora were too young for the deep water.
We were a little bit hesitant about the dolphin program with memories of depressing and exploitive “tiger zoos” in Asia where poorly kept animals are made to do silly tricks. Â This program, in contrast, was very well run and professionally managed. Â Based on how much we paid for the professionally taken photos below the only people being exploited were the visitors – so that was good. Â Sort of.
Anyway, we had a great time with the dolphins; enjoy the pics!
Ben and Central the Dolphin
We had plenty of chances to feel the dolphin's skin as he would swim past.
Family shot with "Central"
Crystal and the Dolphin
Nora gives Central a kiss
Kai gets his turn with Central
Crystal dancing with Central.
Nora pets our dolphin, Central.
Kai gives Central a congradulatory pet.
Kai lifts the ring that Central retrieved.
Central bringing back a ring.
He was more rubbery and less slippery that I was expecting.a
The trainer has some fun getting the dolphin to splash us. Of course it was over 100 degrees and humid but the water was chilled so, other than the salt in the eyes, it was very welcome.
Ben trains the dolphin to retrieve a ring. It was almost as if Central had practiced this move.
The Atlantis – Dubai
An abnormally long Saudi National Day holiday gave us the opportunity to travel to the tip of the Palm Jumeirah artificial island in Dubai to stay at the Atlantis resort.  Complete with its own aquarium and water park it is a pleasant place to spend a few days.  It was, of course, about has hot and humid as it can get on the planet earth and any visit to Dubai is a bit surreal given that is it a caricature of unsustainable excess.
Kai and Nora at the Dubai baggage claim. With zen-like patience they didn't start complaining about the wait for at least 5 minutes.
A panorama of the gulf from our room.
Tourist that flocked to take pictures of the hotel.
Kai, Nora and Ben at the aquarium
Making friends with a Ray.
Kai reads the paper while we wait for our room
Nora at the aquarium
Kai, Nora and Crystal at the lobby aquarium.
Kai shows a friend the starfish in the petting pool.
Nora and a queensland grouper.
A view of the arch at the Atlantis Palm