Awesome trip!

Weather

Weather was excellent: clear sunny sky, the waves are even you can barely feel them.  

Awesome trip!

We left Jumeirah 1 around 7am in excellent weather. The sun was just rising, and the city was in a blanket of fog and silhouette, mirrored on calm waters - if you're in Dubai this is one sight you shouldn't miss! Seven inexperienced anglers were on board, add two kids, and pair them with the friendliest, most accommodating crew. The skipper took us 20 miles offshore. Halfway through the ride (around 10 minutes) I asked captain Amir how far off we're going. He said 20 miles, then asked if I get bored easily. He was sensitive enough to care whether his clients are having fun.

We reached the fishing grounds after another 10 minutes and proceeded on some bottom fishing. Less than a minute after the first rod was cast, one of us was already holding her line up, a lady fish hanging by the hook, wriggling to break free. Jen was grinning from ear to ear. This was the scene for the next for 4 hours. There's the murmur of frustration, followed by excitement when the line starts to vibrate and fight, only to find out it's tangled with the other person's line. Then there's the other excitement, followed by a squeal and photo opportunity. Every fish caught was a cause for celebration. By the noon we had a bucket full of sherries, lady fish, sultan ibrahim, snappers, and hamour. 41 fish, not bad for a bunch of newbies.

The crew was proactive to our needs. They were always assisting, giving instructions, re-filling our hooks with baits, and replacing our rods when it's too tight to reel in. Plus they were smiling the whole time. Captain Amir made sure everyone had a catch. He asked more than once if we're having fun, and even transferred several times to look for better fishing grounds.

Best part was the pod of dolphins. Captain spotted them and ordered his skipper to follow. We came so close the dolphins were probably 5 to 10 meters from our boat. They were playing and it was such a treat.

On our way back the kids kept screaming, "Amazing! It was amazing! Mama it was awesome!" The adults weren't as expressive, but judging from their faces and bags full of fish, I'm quite sure they had a blast. I know I did.