This morning I went to the Dolphin Reef to the south of the main city center of Eilat to go diving with the dolphins. I actually originally heard about the site from my dad and then decided to look into it myself when I got to Israel. At first thought I might just go snorkeling, but then I saw that it was cheaper to book a 35-minute guided dive. The rules in Israel are pretty strict so to do the guided dive you need to be certified, have dive insurance and have done a dive within the past six months.
I was able to to buy the insurance right at the dive center (even though it ended up adding an additional 50% to the total cost) so that wasn’t too big of a problem. The insurance is also good for two weeks in Israel, Jordan and Egypt in case I have the chance to go again. I also had obviously gone diving within the past six months, but the issue was I wasn’t sure I could prove it. My log book is packed somewhere in a box at home so I haven’t been able to record any of my dives in it. I asked Chris, my instructor from Thailand, to send me confirmation of my dives there, but he still had not e-mailed me back before I had to leave for my appointment.
When I got to the dive center, they asked for my log book and I tried to explain the situation. Unfortunately, I didn’t even have the number for the hotel in Jordan to call for verification of my two dives from last week. Luckily, I did have the piece of notebook paper Chris had written the information from my three dives on, which also included his instructor ID number and e-mail address. They made a copy of the paper and after putting in a phone call decided that would satisfy the requirements.
I met my dive instructor and was given all my gear to start putting it together. It was the first time (and only the second time doing it at all) that I attached my regulator, BCD and tank completely by myself without any help. My instructor didn’t even check my work so I was a bit nervous that I’d go into the water and wouldn’t have any air or would have some sort of leak. Fortunately, it looks like I did a pretty good job because there weren’t any problems. In addition to the instructor, we also went down with another guy who is just starting his training to work at the reef and needs to learn how to identify each of the dolphins.
The family of eight dolphins that live in the preserve are fenced in within a pretty large area because tourists and boaters had been harassing them when they were allowed to swim totally free in the open water. There are currently holes in the net so they actually can find a way out if they want to, but the trainers say they always end up coming back home to the reef eventually. It’s not like Sea World where the dolphins are taught to do tricks and swim with people holding onto their backs. The tourists are actually only supposed to observe the animals and not even touch them if they come up close. I followed the rules, but there were a few times that the dolphins swam by so close that I thought they would accidentally brush up against me on their own. It was really fun to watch them swimming around and playing with each other At one point, one of the dolphins kept rubbing its back and stomach up against one of the ropes anchoring the rafts as if it was trying to give itself a good scratch. Another one of them was swimming facedown almost vertically apparently trying to eat something buried in the sand. Aside from the dolphins we also saw some sea urchins, clownfish, lionfish and another huge fish that I forgot to ask the name of. It was pretty funny looking and could possibly have been some sort of puffer fish.
After coming back to the surface following the dive, I walked out onto the network of ramps that surround the reef to watch the midday feeding. Once the feeding was over, one of the trainers told us about the dolphins and answered some of the visitors’ questions. I hadn’t bothered to pay to have photos taken underwater so it was nice to get some good shots of the dolphins from the surface. The trainer told me that they generally come up for air about twice every minute, but can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes at a time.
It was a beautiful day and I really wanted to stay by the beach longer, but I had to leave just after 1:00pm to get back to Eilat so I could catch my bus to Ein Gedi. We rode for about three hours through the beautiful Negev Desert while the sun set behind the mountains bordering the Dead Sea. Shortly after it got dark, the bus driver announced we were in Ein Gedi and dropped me off on the side of the highway. I had no idea where the hostel was so I started walking toward a gas station until a woman who happened to be passing by told me it was the other direction. It was a bit of a trek with all my luggage, but eventually I arrived at the Ein Gedi Youth Hostel.
I was in Ein Gedi to volunteer on an archaeological dig for a week so at the hostel reception desk I made the mistake of saying I was there for the field school. The receptionist told me the field school was all the way at the top of the hill, but when he called to check they said they didn’t have a reservation under my name. I really had no idea where I was supposed to be so I decided to walk all the way up there to check for myself. The guy at the desk didn’t speak very good English and seemed to have no idea what I was talking about. It was almost like the first time I arrived in Jinju for GNU Summer Camp when my cab driver didn’t understand my request for Dormitory “Shil” (seven) and I had him drop me off as soon as I saw a sign for SOLEIP with no idea where I was really supposed to be. At that time (as I was starting to feel this time) I wondered whether the whole thing was a sham and I would be stuck in the middle of Korea (or by the side of the Dead Sea) with absolutely no place to go. Luckily, the guy from the field school found someone who spoke English and when I gave him the name of my contact, Gideon Haddas, he knew exactly who to call. I spoke to Gideon who told me to go back to the hostel and ask for Raquel. I guess the field school is not affiliated with this dig, though the guy there told me they are sending some volunteers to help out this week. Once again it was all the way back down the hill still lugging all my bags, but with an amazing view of the nearly full moon reflecting off the waters of the Dead Sea.
When I went back in to the hostel and gave them the name of Gideon and Raquel (though at first I thought it was Michelle), they were like, “Ah, why didn’t you say that in the first place?” (grrrrrrr!) I found the right room and had a shower before heading with my roommates, Raquel and Esther, to have dinner in the dining hall and then meet with Gideon and the others for a short pre-dig briefing. While I was in the shower, I actually had a moment of thinking to myself, “I can’t believe I’m actually here doing this.” I had first read about the dig over three years ago and had always thought it would be great to volunteer if I could work it into my schedule. I almost thought it wasn’t going on this year so by the time I double checked on-line while I was in Nepal it was three days before the December 1st application deadline. Luckily I made it in on time and now bright and early tomorrow morning, I’m going to get to fulfill another goal more than three years in the making. I seriously can’t wait!
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