Thursday, February 5th, 2026
Treasure Island
We got to see one more sunrise in that beautiful island. What more treasures await us today!
We were up before the sun sleepily peeked through the clouds. The sea had receded far back because of low tide leaving more shores to discover and more rocks to scale.
The rugged yet slippery smooth boulders were beckoning me to explore!
I reached a sandy beach strewn with shells fresh out of the deep. I saw a big shape that resembled a shell. There is no way a real shell could be this big. Or can it? I went closer to look...I could not believe my eyes!
Happy as a clam!
At the resort we saw a wash basin that looked like a giant shell and we were wondering if it was real or man-made. Looking at the size of this shell makes us believe that anything is possible!
Time to get back for a yummy breakfast
Three boatmen met us with a boat to take us to the shipwreck site. Early morning when the tide is low is the perfect time to enjoy it in shallow waters.
Even though the site was so close to the shore and we could have swam there, having those guides with us gave us a lot of confidence.
Even in ankle deep water Papu was holding on to his hand :)
***Comedy Alert***
Papu was wearing life vest and wading in the knee deep water towards the boat. She was still a bit scared of the deep. She said, "Please do not force me. My Athan has told me not to take unnecessary risks!" I started laughing...Papu, let's discuss if the risk is unnecessary or not later...let's first discuss if this is a risk or not!!! We are standing in knee deep water with life vest on...there is no way we are going to drown in this even if we try to!!!
Because of low tide they had parked the boat further in
The water was crystal clear. We were very thankful that we could see the weird and the mysterious creatures so we could avoid stepping on them! The good, bad and the ugly...
Stargazing!
After breakfast a boat came to take us snorkeling near a place called Shipwreck. On the way we saw many sea stars — we even gently touched one. The ocean there felt like a living museum of God’s creations.
As we waded in we saw several sea stars in different shades of pink
I was expecting it to be slimy but I was so surprised that it felt hard like a shell to touch
We saw several other sea stars and other corals in the clear shallow water as we approached the shipwreck
There it was! Half submerged, half exposed, so close to the island! Who built this ship? What dreams danced in their eyes when they built it? Where were they heading? Who were all fortunate enough to ride on it? What beautiful places did they visit in this ship? Why did they end up here? What wrecked their ship this close to paradise? Was it a storm? Did a Kraken wrap its tentacle around the hull and choke it?
But when the boat stopped, they again asked everyone to jump into the water. That still scared me, so I stayed near the ladder instead. Unfortunately the ladder didn’t reach deep enough into the sea, so I couldn’t see much from there. Mika swam out and snorkeled near the shipwreck, while I stayed back feeling a little disappointed.
As I swam towards the ship I noticed the bow jutting above the ocean. It was so fuzzy and covered with corals.
I was being pushed towards the shore by the constant waves. I had to hold on to the ship to avoid floating away. The shipwreck felt slimy and spongy.
Papu had gone down the ladder to try and snorkel from there. I was wearing just my goggles. So I had to come out of the water to breathe every couple of minutes. Holding on to the ship helped.
Every time I took a breath and went in, it opened a beautiful aquatic wonderland. Everything seemed so serene under the sea. The fishes were swimming peacefully in their little haven. The ship was taken over by different kinds of coral that gently swayed in the current in slow motion.
Every time I came up for air the waves were washing over my head and over the ship. It was pushing me and pulling me in different directions.
The boat was bobbing up and down.
I went back down into the tranquil underworld. The powdery sand, the crystal clear water, fish gliding playfully...
There was a hole in the hull. I peeked in.
The inside of the ship looked like an underground garden of Eden. It was thriving with life. The whole ship was reclaimed by nature.
I heard somewhere online that there is a Nemo living inside the shipwreck. I was looking for an orange spot but couldn't find it. I thought it would be a highlight of the trip if I could see one Nemo in the wild! I went in several times desperately looking for it.
Every inch of that wreck was covered in coral. Because of low tide the coral was exposed above the water and it was slimy and weird to touch. I slowly moved along the length of the ship. I really enjoyed the fact that there were no one else at this spot when we went. Usually tour boats come later in the day.
Eye full of wonder, it was time to head back to the boat!
One of the boatmen swam up to me and helped me get on the boat.
Later the boat dropped us closer to the shore where the water was shallow — just above the knee. The water was incredibly clear, and we could see the sand and coral beneath our feet as we walked.
Purple coral and Jellyfish!
Even in those shallow waters, there were beautiful corals everywhere.
I walked slowly toward one coral and noticed a tiny blue fish swimming around it — like a little version of Dory. When I stepped toward another coral, I saw another similar blue fish.
Earlier, Mika had been hoping to see Nemo, the clownfish, but she hadn’t found one at the shipwreck. As I stood there in the shallow sea, I looked up at the sky and quietly prayed.
“Lord, could you please let me see many fishes? Different colors, different kinds. You are the Creator of the ocean… please help me enjoy the sea and see your beautiful creations.”
It was such a small prayer.
And almost immediately, the answer came.
When I looked down again at the coral, I saw two clownfish swimming there.
I couldn’t believe it.
Finding Nemo!
I slowly knelt down in the water — the sea reaching up to my chest — and just watched them. It felt like God Himself was smiling and saying, “Look… enjoy what I have made.”
Tears started rolling down my face.
I went to get some cash from the room to tip our boatmen while Papu was hanging out in the knee deep water. When I came back she was sitting in the water and was pointing to something. She motioned me to come slowly and look at something.
It was such a small desire, yet it felt so personally answered. I sat there quietly crying with gratitude, thanking Jesus for that moment. If God cared enough to answer such a tiny wish, how much more would He take care of the bigger prayers in my life?
I could not believe when she said that she found Nemo! What I thought was so elusive and could be found only inside the shipwreck(I couldn't find it in there either) was right in front of us in knee-deep crystal clear water!
As I kept watching, I noticed something beautiful. There were actually three clownfish — the mummy fish, the daddy fish, and a tiny baby fish swimming carefully near the coral, just like little Nemo. The parents seemed to guard the baby as it peeked out and darted back inside.
I stayed there for a long time just observing them.
Sea Urchin Puffer fish
After that, it felt like the ocean kept revealing more and more wonders.
Schools of striped fish swam past us. Green fish shimmered in the sunlight. We even spotted flounder.
Catch me if you can!
The flounder was so stealthily camouflaged and was covered in a thin layer of sand, playing tricks with our sight. I tried to touch it and it darted across for a second and then blended in again!
There were sea cucumbers, strange snake-like sea creatures...
Delicate feather-like coral organisms quickly pulled themselves back in when we touched them.
The entire reef felt alive.
Bright orange and blue frills sway in the current and when we go near them they disappear. What kind of magic is this!
There was another colony of clown fish!
If Papu would not come to the reef, the reef must come to Papu!
There were white fish with black circular markings, blue fish darting between corals, and entire groups of fish moving together like living clouds.
It felt as if God kept sending more and more beauty my way.
So close to the shore in knee-deep clear water!
Standing there in that shallow sea, surrounded by coral and colorful fish, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude. The ocean, the life within it, the quiet answer to a simple prayer — it all felt like a gift straight from God.
And in that moment, I knew I would never forget the feeling of kneeling in the sea, watching those little clownfish, and thanking Jesus for letting me witness His beautiful creation.
If this is not God wooing us, I don't know what is!!!
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