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Dolphin search and coastal tour
A wave-slapping boat ride and a trip down memory lane.
By Aninda Sardar

"The forts you can see on top of those mountains are Al Jelali and Al Merani. They were built by the Portuguese in 1587," said Justin, pointing at the two forts that stand vigil with His Majesty Sultan Qaboos' palace, the Bait al Ahlam, between them. But this was a history lesson with a difference. We were bobbing on the waters off Muttrah on what was effectively a large dinghy with two 200hp engines and we had just completed a 20-minute waterborne version of a rodeo ride. Sea Thunder organises trips for customers at the Shangri-La's Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa, for a price of course. The trip involves a half-hour search for dolphins and a trip down the Corniche and the coast up to the Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat before heading back to the beach at the Shangri-La.

At the Marina Bandar al Rowdha we met Justin and Aziz – the crew from Sea Thunder who take people out to sea for what could literally be the ride of their lives. And then we saw the boat. "We got her from Wales. She's the only one of her kind here. It is used for rescue missions by the Royal Yacht Association in England and also by the English armed forces," Justin said with evident pride. He went on to explain that the boat had five inflatable air chambers on each side and was capable of floating at a mere 12 per cent air pressure. "All this information so that you know you are in safe hands," he said with a friendly smile. We headed out to pick up the rest of the passengers from the beach. While Aziz stuck to the wheelhouse at the back piloting the craft towards the pickup point, Justin stayed up front, keeping a watchful eye out for floating debris. Something that could damage the rigid hull inflatable boat.

"Jump on to the side of the boat, hang on to the grab rail and then haul yourself in. That is the easiest way to get into the boat from the water," Justin told the three adults who were taken on board from the Shangri-La beach. "Despite telling people umpteen times how to climb in the right way, they will still try their own methods, which only makes it harder for them," he joked. The children were carried piggy-back from the beach into the boat by a couple of attendants who help the boarding process. Passengers on board, life jackets on, they were drilled on the safety procedures. There was the usual ‘no standing up when the boat is in motion;’ ‘look at the horizon if you're feeling seasick’ and instructions on what one should do in the most undesirable event of falling overboard. "But no one is going to fall off today," he said reassuringly. Passengers were handed bright orange towels that could be used to sit on or as a face wipe and ice cold bottles of water. And then we were off!

The boat surged forward as the two powerful engines churned the sea white behind us. The hull slapped into a wave, rose over the crest and slapped into the next as it hit the trough. It was a wild ride that made your face split into an involuntary grin and you realised that apart from all that you were about to see, the ride itself was worth the money. The passengers were informed that waves are graded from Force One onwards depending on their size. "These waves would be between Forces One and Two. No more than ten to 15 inches high, this boat is capable of withstanding waves up to Force Seven. We have taken it to Force Five," informed Justin.

A half an hour's cruise later there was not a dolphin in sight. At this point, the passengers were given a choice. They could choose to look for dolphins for some more time or carry on to the next part – a tour of the harbour, the Corniche and the beach at the Al Bustan. And it was not just a silent cruise along the shore either. Justin and Aziz, who have received their sailor's training at the Royal Yacht Association in the UK, are also educated in the sultanate's history, marine life, geography and even a rumour or two to make the trip even more interesting than it already was. The passengers were then shown the Al Jazeera rock where scores of sailors have carved or painted the names of their ships as they passed by, an old sailors' tradition. Some of the names date back to the mid 1950s. Having shown us the Al Said, the royal yacht, and her supply ship, the Fulk al Salamah, the tour moved on to a deserted beach that serves as a graveyard for sailors and soldiers. "Some of the graves belong to soldiers of the British army, with a few dating back to the early 20th century," he said. The next stop was the home of Dr Donald Bosch – the American missionary who saved hundreds of lives by performing caesarean sections for difficult births. The boat was then taken to Cat Island, so named for its bizarre resemblance to a crouching cat. The island, a bare rock carved into its unique shape by the winds is also home to electric eels.

Off the beach at the hotel, we were told that the Al Bustan Palace's octagonal dome was assembled in a schoolyard in Liverpool, before being transported to Oman and being put atop the hotel. The hotel was constructed in 1985 to host the GCC meet. “The soil around the beach is imported and is more fertile than the natural soil of the surrounding areas. That is why you will see an additional lushness to the greenery here,” informed Justin. The one and a half hours had gone by quickly, and now it was over. Or so you thought. Just before crossing the Qantab beach to our right, Justin suddenly told us to hang on tight before Aziz threw the boat into a superb power turn. It was like a wild roller coaster ride as the boat spun on its sides. First left and then right. By the time the boat was horizontally laid out on the water again, you’ve had the thrill of your life. Show over, we headed back to the beach. It had been a wild time, a day of undiluted fun.