Maldives "A rendezvous with a whale shark".

The full moon emerges from behind the clouds, bathing the earth in a soft, ethereal glow. We are seated by the Indian Ocean, on the shore of a tiny sandbar island called Mihiri in the Maldives, eating our candle lit dinner. The crabs are running up and down the sand and the water splashes rhythmically just ahead of our table. The lonely house heron, sits on the jetty watching over the water or expecting a guest that won't show. It is mesmerizing and hypnotic. A bit earlier, on the other side of the island, we watched two nurse sharks going back and forth. In our bungalow, which is set just above the water, I step down the ladder to penetrate the turquoise water around the reef. There are many differently colored fish like parrot fish, blue stripe yellow snappers, saddleback butterfly fish, triggerfish, one lazy turtle and with a bit of luck, one can spot a reef shark. Some are white tip and some black tip - mean looking but harmless.

It is mostly a European colony here, filled with fried Europeans that are escaping the cold winter in their countries and are here to dive and sit to ��lobsterize” in the sun. Towards the end of the day, I lay on the beach chair on my deck. It is a twilight zone and the fish are very busy hopping around looking for food. Every time and again hundreds of small silver fish jump out of the water in formation and the dying sun shines right on them making for a shimmering display. Immediately behind are the predators, chasing them for food and they do their own dance - what a performance!

The Maldives is essentially considered to be at sea level, as over 80% of its landmass lies less than one meter above sea level, making it the lowest-lying country in the world and extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels. It is hard to believe that this Island will be underwater in no time.

This morning, we are on a dhoni, a local boat cruising under the Maldivian sun. If we are lucky, we may encounter spotted whale sharks, wide open mouthed manta rays scooping up plankton, and a few sea turtles munching on some coral. Nothing is a given, chances are fifty fifty, so we cross our fingers and see what the day brings. Like most migratory animals, manta rays and whale sharks follow their food, the plankton, as it moves around the archipelago. We are in the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area where both whale sharks and mantas are known to be around at this time of the year. With us is a marine biologist who recognizes some of the individual whale sharks by the different markings on their bodies. Whale sharks are not mammals, which breathe air through lungs. Like all sharks they are fish that breathe through gills and are cold blooded . The "whale" part simply refers to their large size, not their biological classification. Drill is, the deckhand stands on the upper deck searching for a sign, a fin or a shadow in the water. We are instructed about the regulations - don't get too close, don't get in front or directly in the back of them as their vision is not good and we don't want to scare them off. As we approach the designated spot, we are warned to move quickly to make sure we get the best drop off point. In what seems like no time at all, I hear the instruction - jump! My heart skips a beat – it is a whale shark! But then, a “few” others from other boats jump in the water as well. All of a sudden, all hell breaks loose. Rules are broken, people are pushing, kicking - chaos. How easily people become a mob. My guide grabs me by the hand and navigates me through. I get a glimpse at the shark beneath us, enough to swim slowly with it until it's gone. Back on the boat, we continue searching. As luck is on our winds, we encounter three more sharks. This last two times, all to ourselves. I am amazed at how close I can get to them and swim next to them. Despite their size, these gentle giants move so gracefully through the water - I am in awe of their beauty. I am advised by our marine biologist that these are male juveniles, about six to seven meters long. Full grown whale sharks can get up to twenty meters long and weigh up to twenty tons. The cherry on top of the cake comes at the last outing when along with the whale shark, two manta rays join the party and come around to play. I feel completely at ease around them, filled with inspiration and a renewed sense of wonder until they dive away and disappear.