Family Traveler

78THE DELIGHTSOF THE DEEPForascubafanatic,fewplacesarebettertolearnthantheMaldives.SodivingdivaMARIELLAFROSTRUPcan’twaittoseeher10-year-oldsontakethePADIplungeintheIndianOceanidyllROCKETMAN!Dangetstogripswiththe‘JetPackJoyRide’,asthechildrenchristenedthethrill-seekers’watersportBlearywithjetlagafteralong,hot,hallucinogenicsleep,Istumbleontothebeach,whereamaninblackishovering5mabovethewater.Inthiseerilypost-apocalypticseascape,flatturquoiseoceanstretchingasfarasmyeyescantrace,helookssurprisinglyathome,firingjetsofwaterfromhisfeetlikesomefuturistichybrid–partman,partbird,partJesus.Thekids,needlesstosay,areentranced–asisDad,who’sarrivedjustintimetoseethiscuriousapparitiontopplewithanalmightysplashanddisappearheadfirstbeneaththesurface.Withsomerelief,wespyajetskierwhosemachineisconnectedtothesubmergedmanviaafathose,justas,Lazarus-like,here-emergesuprightfromthewaterandshootsbackintomid-air.JetPackJoyRide,asMollyandDanchristenthisnewestwatersport,istheperfectstartlingbeginningtoaweekentirelydevotedtothepleasuresoftheocean.Theysaymoneycan’tbuyyouhappiness,butLandaaGiraavaru,theFourSeasonshotelintheUNESCO-designated‘Biosphere’oftheBaaAtollintheMaldives,doeseverythingitcantodisprovethat.Atthisprivateislanddevotedtoyourpleasure,eachdayrollsintothenextinanorgyoflazyindulgenceorfreneticactivity,dependentonyourdesires.‘Youknowthereallygreatthingabouthere?’mydaughterMollyaskedonoursecondday.‘Itlooksexactlylikethepictures!’It’strue.We’reherewithapurpose:toinitiatethelastmemberofourfamilyfoursomeintothedelightsofthedeep.Danhasreachedhis 1 0thbirthday,andhe’sfollowinginhissister’sfootsteps,attemptinghisPADIjuniordivercertification.Havingscouredtheglobeforthreedecadeshuntingdownthebestdivesitestoindulgemyownpassion,I’mconvincedtherearefewbetterplacestolearntolovetheunderwaterrealmthanthistinyatollnation.Slippingbeneaththewarm,crystal-clearIndianOceantransportsyoutoahypnoticnewworld.There,softcoralswaveinthegentleswell,andstripedclownfishdartinandoutoftheiranemones,whilefishwithfantasynameslikesweetlipsandelegantfiregobyswimabovethenooksandcranniesofthecoralreefsthatarehometocrabsandshrimp,nudibranchsandmorayeels.Ifyouwantyourchildrentolovetheocean,there’snobetterplaceonearthtokickoffthataffair.``````Mariellaanddan,``````10,hookup12mdown