Avid divers will be more than familiar with Tioman Island. Just off the East Coast of Malaysia, the island is known for its magnificent dive sites.
It is loved for its beautiful clear waters and relatively untouched nature, a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
On rare occasions, marine life like dolphins will even grace people with their presence.
Last Wednesday (22 Jul) was one such day. It was an unforgettable experience for a Tioman Island local when he went boating with a few others.
They were greeted by a pod of dolphins frolicking in the waters right beneath them.
The group caught sight of the dolphins from afar as they were travelling from Kampung Tekek to Kampung Juara by boat.
They decided to try approaching the dolphins, thinking they would swim off as they usually do.
To their surprise, the pod of dolphins were completely undisturbed by their presence.
Instead, the dolphins had the time of their lives, swimming and frolicking around their boat.
This gave the group an extremely rare close-up encounter with these majestic creatures.
The dolphins even came up to give their visitors a little friendly nudge on their fingers when they dipped their hands into the waters.
The local recounted that there were around 20 dolphins in the pod, many more than he had expected.
To their joy, the adorable dolphins followed their boat for another 5 minutes before swimming away.
The boaters were especially blessed that day with clear skies and crystal clear waters, allowing them to take a captivating video of these adorable creatures.
Their excitement is palpable through their video.
Watch the full video here for an endolphins boost, cuteness is guaranteed.
The local had grown up on Tioman Island and this was only his 4th encounter with these creatures.
His previous experiences with dolphins paled in comparison as they were always from a distance. Dolphins tend to flee when they sense the presence of a boat.
According to Malaysian news agency Bernama, the local had said this was his “sweetest and best” encounter as the group of dolphins were especially friendly and the pod was unusually large.
Indeed, this once-in-a-lifetime experience will dolphinately be hard to top.
What a surreal experience this was for the group.
While many of us retreat indoors during this Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen wildlife return to nature like never before.
In Singapore, even wild boars have made themselves at home at our void decks.
Perhaps there is a greater lesson in all of this for us in the way we treat nature and our environment.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Berjaya Hotel.
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