In December 2013, I stayed at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, which at the time sponsored the Maldives Whale Shark Research Program. I spent an afternoon snorkeling with whale sharks in the Southern Ari Atoll and was very lucky to see three whale sharks. I spent my final day wandering around Malé, where I visited the Friday Mosque, the biggest and one of the finest coral stone buildings in the world.