Rowers in Dubai greeted by pod of 100 dolphins off Kite Beach

A team of rowers training to cross the Pacific in June were treated to a rare sight as a pod of more than 100 dolphins joined them during an early morning training session off Kite Beach in Dubai.

The team of Paris Norriss, Barney Lewis, Oliver Amos and Harry Amos plan to row 4,500km unassisted from California to Hawaii, one of the toughest challenges on the planet.

While dolphins and other marine life will become a daily feature of their Herculean challenge next year, it is unusual to see such a big pod in Dubai.

A video posted on Instagram showed the animals swimming up to the team's boat to investigate.

“This morning's early rowing session for our training to cross the Pacific Ocean was pleasantly joined by a giant pod of dolphins just off the coast from Kite Beach in Dubai," the caption said.

“We spotted over a hundred and they seemed fascinated with our boat and decided to join us in our training, by adding some dolphin acrobatics. It certainly started our day off with a smile.

“We are now in full training for our challenge to row across the Pacific Ocean in June.

“Our boat arrived in Dubai last week and we will be training here until we depart in June.

“The crossing is expected to take us 40 days.”

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Mr Norriss is a British adventurer who hosts TV adventure show Guy in Dubai, while Mr Lewis is a marathon runner who works as a consultant in London.

The other rowers taking part in the challenge are brothers Oliver and Harry Amos. Harry is a former British Army captain who served two tours in Afghanistan.

During their Pacific challenge, the team will endure sleep deprivation, physical and mental fatigue, salt sores and weight loss.

They will be monitored 24 hours a day by safety teams and race directors to assist in weather routing during their challenge.

The men's world record for the Great Pacific Race is 30 days, seven hours and 30 minutes. In July, an all-women rowing team set a world record crossing from California to Hawaii in 34 days, 14 hours and 11 minutes.

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.