S he’s dark, nimble and looks absolutely stunning. But when her piercing eyes meet mine, I don’t know whether to laugh or scream. I’ve often wondered what it’s like to come face to face with one of the most fearsome predators known to humans.
Would I remain calm, keep my heartbeat steady and make no sudden movements as the marine experts suggest? Nope, my arms and flippers flail wildly like an overexcited baby as I grope for the sea bed, sending dozens of colourful tropical fish diving back into their coral lairs. I clamber back onto the most idyllic of Maldivian beaches and wave my snorkel and mask at the only other person in sight, an immaculately turned-out member of the Ozen Reserve Bolifushi staff. “There’s a sh-sh shark down here,” I stammer.
“Is it friendly? Should I be worried?” “No shark. Fish feeding 5.30 tonight,” he replies with a smile.
I’ve stumbled upon the only member of the resort’s friendly personnel who doesn’t speak perfect English, so I scurry back to my sunbed and Google ‘sharks in the Maldives’ on my iPad. ‘Blacktip reef sharks live in the shallow waters and are very shy,’ it says. ‘But can scare the living daylights out of unsuspecting tourists,’ it should have added.
Admittedly, the shark is probably no more than a few feet long and I’m soon back in the warm, crystal clear waters, happily pointing out all the fish characters from Finding Nemo and Finding Dory to my wife, Carole. We’re back in this fragile, t.