A small shoal of bright yellow fish
swim in and out of the red fire coral
looking out for predators
they ignore the strange black shadow above them
and swim to another coral

I watch the fish with interest
from behind my plastic dive mask
as I begin to swim deeper
the coral’s change
to the colours of the rainbow

It seems like a new world
hidden beneath the surface
I feel foreign down here
as I don’t understand the beauty
of my surroundings

A mantra ray swims past
followed by three more
their huge wings
flap slowly and gracefully
as though they were flying

As I turn to go back to the surface
to return to my ageing motor boat
a mud brown octopus
swims up to meet me
and to shake my outstretched hand