A WADE IN THE WATER

Lavish indulgences over and underwater at Baa Atoll's the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort pamper your senses

The presence of three palm trees-mostly coconut-is what differentiates an island from a sandbank." Filipa Lopes, the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo T Resort's resident marine biologist, proffers, as we cruise the cerulean waters of Baa Atoll after my maiden dive at Maniaagaa lagoon the first of the Maldives' many charms.

I stand at the edge of the luxe deck on our private speedboat as it motors through prehistoric volcanic lagoons. This is Baa Atoll, a UNESCO heritage site and the richest zone for marine and coral diversity in the region, accounting for five percent of the world's reef area. Over the next few days, I discover how a single dive can reveal to you the dance of tawny nurse sharks, grey reef sharks, porcupine stingrays, schools of manta rays escorting remoras, and schools of parrotfish, all at once.

As I dock at the whale-shaped jetty for the second time, I recount my lavish arrival the day before. This time, I find myself with an assorted audience of a couple on their annual island pilgrimage, an obsessive traveller set to touch base at all 195 countries and a white linen-clad hospitality team whose name tags are accompanied by personal passions an easy way to segue out of small talk.