Snorkeling in Shark Island, Dubai
Shark Island has been on my bucket list for a while now; the last two times I visited Dubai, I didn’t have the time for it though I’d heard a lot about it from friends, so this time a couple of friends and I made sure we visited the island. Shark Island is on the south-eastern side of the Khor Fakkan bay and has a fabulous beach where visitors can dive, snorkel or just laze around in the sun.
The waters here are shallow so you can actually see the seabed. Snorkeling options here are plenty. You can see sharks at the south-western end of the island. As the name suggests, Shark Island is the best place to snorkel if you want to glimpse some sharks. You can spot black tip reef sharks on the eastern end of the island between the months of November and April. Black tip reef sharks are easily identifiable by the black tips on the fins. You can also spot several cerianthid anemones and a wide variety of fishes, from barracuda to batfish and mackerel.
There are many dive sites including Shark Drift, Anemone Gardens and Coral Gardens on the island. There are shacks on the beach that offer snorkels, fins, masks and towels for rent. So, after a small delay because we were not experts and discussed and practised, we jumped in and enjoyed the cool waters, a great relief considering the heat of Dubai! And what a world it unravelled, endless schools of fish, plenty of plankton, underwater foliage, and other indescribable but astounding variety of sea life.
No need to worry!
If you are a beginner like me who has no idea about snorkelling, don’t worry because you could easily get some tips from the guides and the experienced people there. Snorkeling hardly has any dangers so you you should relax and enjoy the beauty of marine life. Don’t be intimidated by the blacktop reef sharks because they rarely attack human beings.
Dubai to Khor Fakkan
Shark Island is just offshore from Khor Fakkan and you can take a day trip from the shore; it is easy to get to the island. You can take a day-trip to Khor Fakkan Bay from Dubai. Khor Fakkan is just a little less than 150 km from Dubai, where we stayed. Khor Fakkan is one of the most scenic places in the region, so don’t miss it. While you are at Khor Fakkan, you can also enjoy windsurfing, water skiing, and boat cruises. While at Khor Fakkan, you should also make the time to visit the parks, mountains and the Rifaisa Dam. With its rich past, the place is full of many historic structures you could explore.
You can go on many such day trips with Dubai as your base — the world-class city has everything a tourist wants to experience, from international cuisines, spas and shopping. Dubai is full of luxury hotels and high-end resorts, so choose the best to suit your need. The best time to visit Dubai is between November and March, when the temperatures drop.
