- Title: IRAN: Dolphin park is major attraction in Iranian free trade zone Island of Kish
- Date: 17th August 2008
- Summary: FEMALE VISITOR TAKING PICTURE VARIOUS OF DOLPHINS HOLDING FLOWERS IN THEIR MOUTHS AND GIVING THEM TO VISITORS (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) TEHRAN RESIDENT, FARIBA KHAKI, SAYING: "Kish Island has been developed in comparison with previous years, (now) there are more hotels. (Kish) is a very suitable place for shopping. Now we have come to the Dolphin Park for entertainment and we
- Embargoed: 1st September 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Environment / Natural World,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVAD0BJ2Y06SUZ9F7WY8Z30XL2JG
- Story Text: One of the major attractions of Iran's Kish Island, a free trade zone and tourist hub, is the Dolphin Park, Iran's first sea-life amusement park. The Iranian government seeks to attract investment, trade and tourism to the island.
Sea lions and dolphins are the stars of Iran's first sea-life amusement park. One of the major attractions on Kish Island, a free trade zone and tourist hub, the park attracts hundreds of visitors daily.
Located in the south of Iran, Kish island with its free trade zone status is touted as a consumer's paradise with many malls, shopping centres and resort hotels. With more than one millions tourists visiting the island annually, Kish is one of the most visited Western-oriented cities in the Middle East.
The social atmosphere on the Island is more relaxed that it is on mainland Iran, and this has encouraged tourists, mostly domestic, to head for the island for their holidays.
"Here everything is different in comparison with Tehran. The climate, the freedom, food, clothes and entertainment", Tehran resident Azam Rezaii explained.
Kish is one of the favourite destinations for Iranian families, especially in summer, where several festivals including a shopping festival attract visitors.
"Here it is very good. We come (to Kish) for shopping and I really enjoy it here," Marjan Ghasemi said, who came to the island with her parents.
But many non-Iranians also come to enjoy Kish as it is also accessible to foreigners without a visa.
Many visitors make their way to the 10,000-square-metre Dolphin Park, a unique establishment in Iran. It is located on the south east corner of Kish Island and is surrounded by over 12,000 palm trees. The park offers dolphin and sea lion performances, a dolphinarium, a bird garden, a silkworm house, a butterfly garden and a number of other themed gardens.
The park opened its doors in 2001. The dolphins and sea lions were brought from the Ukraine and trained for about three years by professional trainers before they began performing to audiences.
"Kish Island has been developed in comparison with previous years, (now) there are more hotels. (Kish) is a very suitable place for shopping. Now we have come to the Dolphin Park for entertainment and we are enjoying it," said visitor Farbia Khaki.
Since the 1990s, the Iranian government has developed a number of hotel and amusement projects to promote Kish as a regional rival to the United Arab Emirate's Dubai and attract tourism, foreign investment and trade to the free trade zone.
The most recent project on the island is the International Oil Bourse, a commodity exchange which opened early this year.
Kish is also home to a university and number of academic and cultural institutes, and hosts a number of international sporting events. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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