most exclusive part, the adult-only Red Level
area. A paradise of lush vegetation dotted
around five swimming pools
15
, including the
largest natural salt-water pool in Europe, it’s a
stunning place to unwind with a cocktail and
ready myself for the next day’s scuba diving.
T
rying to stem the farting sound
coming frommy wetsuit as it
fills with water, I check for the
third time that my regulator is
working. “Steady – or you won’t
have any air left,” says Molloy, amused.
We’re bobbing by the side of the boat,
readying to make that 30m descent to plant
the geocache – now in my hand – and I’m
starting to panic as I struggle to remember
everything I’ve been taught today.
We’d started early to fit all the training in.
As a basic PADI-qualified diver, I’d only ever
been about 12m down – and that was over six
years ago. “You’ll be fine,” reassured Madge
Hawkes, co-owner of the Aqua Marina dive
centre
(aqua-marina.com),
which is on
a prime, beach-front spot of Playa de las
Américas. Hawkes and her partner, Steve
Knight, both Brits, took over it nine years
ago and they’ve never looked back, seduced
by “the 12-month season, fantastic climate
and food, great diving and lovely clients”.
Certainly, as I start sweating in the early
morning heat, I’m reminded of one of the big
draws of Tenerife during the winter months.
Due to the island’s proximity to north Africa,
temperatures are between 20-26°C all year
round. And it’s not just humans the warm
conditions attract. Bottlenose dolphins,
turtles
16
, pilot and spermwhales have all
made these waters their home.
“Perhaps they’ll also fancy a spot of
geocaching?” jokes Hawkes, as she hands
me the lunchbox we’re going to use as our
geocache. Inside there’s an underwater camera
and diver’s clipboard, so players can log their
find. On top we fix one of two model easyJet
planes that I picked up on the flight. The cache
is complete and we’re ready to go.
Beneath the surface
17
, Molloy is Peter Pan
(albeit a slightly older, balding version) and I
amWendy (no adjustments needed),
experiencing the exhilarating sensation of
flight for the first time
18
. Except, rather than
flying over the London skyline, we’re
exploring our own deep-sea world. We duck
and dive over rocks, swim through
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PHOTOS
ALAMY, GETTY
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T H E C H A L L E N G E
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