PETALING JAYA, July 27 — Pulau Tioman native Mohd Faisal Safuan Saridan, 38, has only spotted dolphins in the island’s crystal-clear waters four times his entire life.
That’s how rare these friendly aquatic mammals make an appearance in the famous holiday destination.
So you can imagine the resort manager’s excitement when he, his wife and two resort crew members caught sight of a school of playful dolphins while travelling on a boat from Kampung Tekek to Kampung Juara last week.
“I spotted what looked like a pod of dolphins from afar and immediately decided to try to approach them, 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, and instead continued playing under the boat and also followed the boat for more than five minutes before swimming away,” he told Bernama.
The Tioman native said that the clear sea water resulted in a good quality video which allowed viewers to distinctly see the dolphins.
He also added that the dolphins were playful, nudging their fingers as Mohd Faisal and his wife Nurul Huda Sani, 34, lowered them onto the surface of the water.
The response to the video he uploaded on Juara Mutiara Resort and Nurul Huda’s Facebook page took Mohd Faisal by surprise as he didn’t expect the documentation of the experience to attract so much attention.
The clip on Juara Mutiara Resort’s Facebook page has since been viewed over 8,200 times with many surprised to discover that dolphins existed in the waters of Pulau Tioman.
The clip which lasted over a minute shows a pod of dolphins enjoying a swim in the calm sea as Nurul Huda was unable to contain her excitement in the presence of the sleek swimmers.
“I know dolphins are found in the waters of Pulau Tioman, but they are very difficult to catch sight of,” Mohd Faisal said.
“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.
He said last week’s sighting was the sweetest and the best one yet because of their friendliness and the size of the pod.
“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.
