Sunny morning in paradise, I got my bad sorted for the day and headed down for breakfast buffet. This food was much better than last night. I had omelette and the trimmings with a mini banana or a plantain as they call them before going to the dive shop around the corner for checking in with my booking for diving tomorrow and Tuesday. The roads here are just sand, that had sand so that mopeds and drive around and mini tuck tucks. The shop was a typical dive one, concrete finish, minimalistic. A little Maldivian guy on the back of a tuck tuck jumped out that was passing by to assist me as there was nobody in the shop. He had a bit of an attitude, wasn't very happy. Told me the boat was full for the afternoon dive because they were busy. So another problem that these guys need to solve… communication with their booking system. I told them I was booked in from November so they needed to sort something out.

All was good, I signed up and was due back at 08:10 in the morning.

Now time to wait for the tour, 08:45 I needed to be at the activity shop in front of the hotel, 09:00 passed and then 09:15, the little guy that worked there who clearly thought his phone was more important than anything else in the world told me the trip was cancelled because not enough people. Again COMMUNICATION. I'd been sat here for 30 minutes by now and only just decided to tell me this. His friend came along and said no problem we will take you to join another group. So I did, another wait around and a lot of Russians and Chinese. God hope I'm not on the boat with them (luckily there were two trips and I wasn't) so we walked onward to the boat,, same boat as last night's taxi but this didn't have the covers down over the windows.

I got a seat at the back by the sea, they popped the bloody dead tuna at the back of the boat so I was fighting with the crowd until we started to move out from the dock yard.

First stop was coral garden, for snorkelling. What a lovely place it was too! Water was lovely and warm and the visibility was unbelievably clear! It was like being in a fish tank, and the fish weren't scared, they were all around you. The little trigger fish being the most nosiest. Clown fish the most scared. The coral garden was like a round peninsula in the middle of the sea, so a very deep dark blue drop off the side of it, curious as to what was lurking underneath, I would just stop and float to see if anything would pop up, but it didn't. That wad for me to find out tomorrow, clearly!

We had a long time here, lots of photo opportunities with my fancy NEW CAMERA!!

Soon it was time to move on, next to the island next door to Maafushi, Gulhi. It was the next Maafushi by the seems but it was very very quiet! There were tourists staying but I'm not sure what else they did other than stay in hotel and sit on one beach. We headed onto the other side of the island a 4 minute walk to the bikini beach. Basically the only place you're allowed to be in a costume because these local islands are Muslim communities. The sea was INCREDICBLE, I imagine you would put a glass in it to collect water and you would know if it was filtered water or sea water. Now for the awkward part, which one of these tourists at I going to politely ask to take my photo, choose someone who looks like they know what they're doing with a phone. (Not always so easy!)

I did find one, she wasn't so great so after a walk in the sea where the depth didn't seem to change from around your ankles until about 75m out from shore. I sat back on the towel and took a selfie myself on my NEW CAMERA! Came out a treat!

We only stayed here for an hour, then back to the boat. Whilst walking across the concrete ledge of the harbour low and behold 5 huge reef sharks casually swimming around.

What the heccck! There was only one thing left to do after trying to scramble for my phone to take a photo….

Get to the shark point so we could get in the water with them!

I must admit at first I was a little hesitant, what if they come out of nowhere from under the boat as you jump in? I let two get in before me. Again, the water is crystal clear so there wasn't much chance of us not seeing one trying to creep up!

The rays that came along with them were HUGE also! How awesome, once I was in I was fine. Told not to go at the back of the boat, what does the one weirdo do that was say by me (a man in his say 40/50s with a short bob and a body of a 12 year old, and swim pants of a 12 year old also…) he swims right in the middle of them. I tried to get a few photos, what's he doing? Flapping his flippers around me. So I had to grab it and yank it make him scared it was a shark biting it, until I shoo'd him away and I got my shots, a few more got in, I swam out the way a little so I could see the animals coming and going around me rather than sitting underneath or on top of them. What a treat! This was awesome!!

Starting to feel the high UV of this sun now, it's bloody strong even though temperatures are only 31. It's thought trying to stay unscreened up when your in and out of Salt water too, which doesn't help with stopping you from catching tan.

Next we went to the sandbank for lunch (chicken fried rice, apple and a juice box) which actually hit the right spot. I was first off the boat, as usual the majority of tourists like to faff when they arrive at a point of interest and don't prepare themselves for it. Firs ton the bank meant that I got the better photos, and experienced a sandbank pretty much by myself, what a treat! I ate, put some music on and head for a walk to the end of the sand, when the tide comes in this place disappears so you have to make the most of it whilst you're there.

The Benjamin button came along and wanted me to take his photo, my god he must be on something. I turned into the person taking photos of a what seemed like an "influencer" I was almost away but not before he went in for round two, he needed to wet his hair, but oh these were good shots of him seductively walking out of the water like Pamela. It was all a little strange. He did ask to take mine, which I was grateful for but I went for the more natural "I'll just keep walking away from you look" easy peacy.

A great day all in all, but I was starting to feel the burn of the sun for sure! It was time to head back to maafushi, I think I was grateful for the shade and a cold shower to be honest. It wasn't far, past a few fancy sea villas and palm trees.

I was right, unfortunately no matter how many layers of sun screen, shade and cover I had burnt, and what terrible tan lines too, given I had a Costume on that had both straps go over one shoulder, and that allowed for a very white tummy. That's not going brown any time soon. Annoyed that I'd burnt, I was worried about my precious skin on my baby smooth face aswell, I'd done well however my chin and a little patch on my right cheek by nose was very very sore and concerning red. MOISTURE and out of the sun is required for this!! Oh and I have a white forehead and sunglasses marks, this look is not a good one.

Had a little time to chill and get changed and moisturise. Then I was back out for the fishing trip at 5:15pm, this one was definitely going regardless of how little people were on it. And so that would be, a Chinese/american lesbian couple and a European and Filipino couple. Yep, just the 5 of us on a huge old fashion fishing dhow boat with three crew members. It was nice we had space and didn't need to make silly small talk. We stopped somewhere in the middle of the ocean, had a fishing reel given to us and bait added to it, now we sit and wait whilst we watch the sunset, peaceful. Aside from the squawking Chinese American lesbian that was obsessed with her girlfriend and who had an American accent with a Chinese twang on some words. She was harmless enough but very excitable!

I caught one! After a couple of nibbles and a few fish stealing my bait. A banana fish! (I'm sure they'll have different names to that) as I've seen a lot of them around fujeirah. Now he's dinner! We all caught one aside from one girl. The crew caught a couple also but they also caught long spear looking fish too so they must be the pros!

Afterwards they dropped us back and said that dinner would be served at my hotel around 9pm, so we had an hour to kill. I went for a stroll around the island in and out of the little streets. (Small streets, small blocks, sandy lanes, with all the little corner shops they could possibly need for a working island) and I ended up in a circle back in one spot. The walk probably took me 30 minutes and that because I was on turtle mode and kept weaving in and out of the streets, that was still a push for making it last 30 mins! This place is tiny.

Dinner was served, a boney fish with not much meat so they gave me a few mini tuna fillets also.

Absolutely shattered, burnt and full of food. I headed for bed and applied more moisturiser.

Big day tomorrow!!