Cry of the Dolphins

I have been to many places. But never did I have an experience as amazing as this. I am talking about the summer of 2003, I was 13 years old. Dad was away at Bahrain since a long time, due to the new project at work (the client site being at Bahrain). Mum and I were at Delhi, of course since I was in school at that time. 

With my summer vacations at school just starting, dad had a brainwave! We could spend the summer with him at Bahrain! 

And so, we were off to the little island of Bahrain. This incident happened during those summer vacations, where we went on a holiday within a holiday to the Hawar Island (which is near Bahrain). 

Friday 6th June, 2003, Hawar Resort Hotel, Bahrain

10.00 pm

Walking along the beach at night is something that you must do, if you haven't done it already of course. That too barefoot! Don't worry about the crabs! ;) 

It just feels like bliss to feel the wind in my hair, hearing the lashing of the waves, feeling the sand (and shells) under my feet and of course, staring up at the stars. It is quite warm here, but the cool wind feels good. In fact it is so windy that sometimes I feel like Mary Poppins when she flew over the sky on her umbrella ha ha. Even better, I am walking through the little waves that are lapping against the shore. The beach here is full of shells! And those pretty looking ones as well. You can't stand for long with bare feet as the shells prick! I have already collected a few really nice looking shells which are now neatly stored in a box upstairs in our hotel. This isn't a rough beach. There are hardly any waves.

We have just finished our dinner and are now sitting under those straw umbrellas. Well, mum and dad are sitting and I am walking. 

People at the hotel said that sometimes dolphins came near the hotel, and you can hear them! SO exciting! I hope we can hear some! I have seen dolphins of course, but in an aquarium in USA.

I am going to head towards the umbrella so I can hold on to something! It is SO windy I think I am going to fly away!!!

So. Now I am sitting under the umbrella and I can feel the wind rapidly flapping my shirt.

Wait, what is that? 

"Is that someone crying?" Mum said.

"It sounds more like the wind"

"They are the cries of dolpins."

I turned back to see an old man standing behind us. He said that the dolphins come near the beach quite a few times. He works in the hotel, hence he knows.

WOW. To imagine. Dolphins. Just with metres of us! Calling out (to us! - just imagining)!

They are so clever to come at the right time, when WE happened to be outside and close to them!

We are leaving tomorrow evening, so if we hadn't heard them this night, we would have missed it!

Anyways, we are off to bed now with a happy feeling residing in our hearts. The nice cozy bed awaits me. Here I come!!!

It was the most beautiful feeling in the world, to be so close to them. It is a different feeling you see, to feel their presence in the sea than to see them in an aquarium. It was thrilling to think that just beyond the little waves, the dolphins must be there calling out to each other, somewhere in the darkness...