The mangrove kayaking at Anantara Spa Resort on Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi is amazing!

Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi is huge! I drove around the perimeter, which is over 30 km! There are three hotels on the island. In addition to the villas on the east and west sides, there is also the Anantara Desert Islands Resort & Spa on the north side. When I checked in, I booked the hotel's mangrove kayaking activity. At 10:30 am, under the guidance of the hotel staff, I put on a life jacket, took a paddle, and sat in a double kayak. The lagoon behind the hotel is surrounded by dense mangroves, and the water is calm. About 10 minutes after leaving the pier, I saw a flock of flamingos. They were foraging in the shallows, and their pink feathers were very conspicuous in the sunlight. As I continued paddling forward, I passed a mangrove forest and saw a flock of black swans swimming out of the bushes, less than 5 meters from my kayak. The whole paddling process lasted for an hour. I felt like my arms were going to fall off before I reached the end, haha. Fortunately, the hotel staff paddled the second half! Along the way, in addition to bird watching, I also saw the root structure of the mangroves and some small fish. The best part was seeing a sea turtle. I was so lucky! After returning to the pier, the staff provided towels and drinking water. This outdoor activity is a great way to experience the island's ecosystem up close!