From the coral world

There is nothing more bizarre or puzzling than the world of the coral reef. From the air, the coral reefs of the Maldives look like rings of light green bubbling up from a vast sheet of deep blue. They&rsquore even more dramatic when you get into the water. One moment all you can see beneath you is deep dark endless ocean, and then suddenly the seabed seems to rise and burst into a million colours. Electric blue, bright yellow, red and black miniature fish swim purposefully in between thickets of coral. Some swim slowly like elaborately coiffured stately old ladies, while others strut about like pompous young men. It&rsquos almost impossible to capture the beauty of this little world in prose, so I&rsquove settled for this anemone fish fridge magnet (US$4), which I picked up at a duty-free shop at Male airport.