With an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, the Maldives is the world's lowest country. Located in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean, it lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) from the Asian continent.

The Maldives consists of 1,192 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, along the north-south direction. Only 185 islands are home to its approximately half million inhabitants. After the long Buddhist period of Maldivian history, Muslim traders introduced Islam by the mid-12th century. For many centuries the Maldivian economy was entirely dependent on fishing and other marine products, followed by the rapidly growing tourism industry today.

Historically, Maldives provided enormous quantities of cowry shells, an international currency of the early ages. This species is called "money cowry" because the shells were historically widely used in many Pacific and Indian Ocean countries as shell money before coinage was in common usage. Huge amounts of Maldivian cowries were introduced into Africa by western nations during the period of slave trade. From the 2nd century AD, the islands were known as the 'Money Isles' by the Arabs.

The Maldivian atolls are formed from prehistoric volcanoes that went extinct. As the ocean floor subsided with the volcano, corals began to populate and grow around it forming a fringed reef. The volcanoes disappeared and the coral continued to grow. Slowly, as material eroded from the reefs, they got collected on the shallower reefs and the sandbanks became tiny islands. The atolls of the Maldives are very complex structures and formerly they were very dangerous for navigators. These coral reefs are home to a variety of marine ecosystems that vary from planktonic organisms to whale sharks.

This is the first time I take underwater pictures. I didn't plan for any underwater shoot as I was not particularly persuaded of committing to the cost of buying any underwater photography rig. Many people interested in underwater photography usually start with a GoPro, however, I ended up shooting with a disposable waterproof Fujifilm camera. It comes pre-loaded with a Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 800 35 mm film and has a large-sized shutter release, which is the only feature available to operate. So adjusting anything, composing properly, or reviewing the photos was something impossible to do. The experience of snorkeling in the coral reefs of The Maldives goes beyond words or images, and these pictures here are nothing but just a humble visual document. Anyhow, I enjoyed the spontaneity of shooting blind, rediscovering the mystery of not having a clue about the outcome until you develop the film, that texture, the blur… and of course, swimming with sharks!