Morocco’s Maha Haddioui and India’s Sharmila Nicollet took some time out from practising for this week’s Australian Ladies Classic-Bonville to spend an hour with beautiful Bella.
The LET stars spent an hour in the pool at Dolphin Marine Magic – Coffs Harbour, getting up close and personal with one of the oceans most inspiring mammals and came away with the juvenile female dolphin under the watchful hands of its keeper, Alejandro.
Although little reluctant at first, Haddioui and Nicollet were soon captivated by the dolphin’s friendliness and by the end were happy towed about the pool on boogie boards.
“It was awesome. We learned so much about the dolphins, and there was a lot that I didn’t know. Bella was beautiful!” Haddioui grinned.
Sharmila Nicollet was particularly impressed to hear that dolphins exfoliate their skins up to 15 times a day to protect themselves from germs. It was a routine she compared to her one time a day with a laugh.
“Bella was awesome! They are very intelligent creatures, and there are a lot of things that I didn’t know. I’ve loved dolphins since I was a kid and interacting with Bella was great. It was so much fun,” Nicollet said.
Earlier, the pair has their first taste of the stunning Bonville layout and left the course extremely impressed. Haddioui, who is on her first visit to Australia, described the course as unbelievable. The March sun, however, had some bite according to the Moroccan.
“I got my first sunburn, which is quite something coming from a country on the border with the Sahara desert,” Haddioui grinned.
Nicollet was equally as impressed with the course and Coffs Harbour, in particular with the ease of driving on the City’s roads compared to the chaotic traffic back at home in India.
“It’s my first time at Coffs Harbour. The golf course is wonderful and so is the city, I enjoy driving on the roads here because compared to India this is so peaceful and scenic. I just love it,” she smiled.
Courtesy David Tease, Golf NSW
