On the Reef
Embudu, Maldives

Shoals of striped fish streak through the reef like zebras hunted by lions on the Serengetti.

The Maldives is a group of 1,200 tiny islands in the Indian Ocean with fringing reefs and inviting turquoise lagoons. To the north, our tiny island has a jetty that leads you straight onto the spectatular cliff face of coral and the shallow underwater garden reef below.

The sea is teeming with brightly colored fish flowing past by the thousands and the seabed is cluttered by species calm and haunted. Like the desert in bloom or a field full of wildflowers these ancient pastures are glowing with the signs of new life. Sometimes I think that these tropical fish are curious fallen songbirds who have plummetted into the sea and although they have lost their voice they have kept their wings and their magnificent colors.

The clear view is perfect for snorkelers and a refershing change from the hot white sand of the beach. A gentle breeze barely moves the humid air. It is peaceful but not silent. I can hear the cracking and popping sounds of the sea and the rhythm of my own breath.

Hundreds of tiny sleek fish are hunted by the large shadows lurking in the distance and occasionally break the surface in desparate hope of escaping their fate and then fluttering down like lucky silver coins tossed to the bottom of the sea. Vast and varied species roam at all depths disguising themselves with intricate markings, moving boldly in shoals, or laying still camouflaged by the patterns below.

While the aggressive titan triggerfish may scare you off as she protects her nest, the black tip reef shark will nervously swim away at the sight of you! Perfectly proportioned, this shark has all the frightening features but he's harmlessly only 2 feet long and can usually be found gliding over the sandy bottom in less than a foot of water.

This busy place boasts the colorful oriental sweetlips with her stripy pyjamas, the striking purple and yellow sturgeonfish, and the sharply colored pink and teal parrotfish with his beaky mouth. Moving all at once like an underwater fireworks display as we glide over this underwater archipelago it's like living in an aquarium.