The Maldives are a cluster of almost 2000 atolls and lagoons that lie in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Sri Lanka. They form a magical blue and green mosaic of palm shaded, beach fringed islands embraced by shimmering waters. Marco Polo referred to the islands as the ?lower ofAtoll and Ari Atoll. Their white sand beaches are protected by miles of sheltered reefs that teem with fish the Indies? Some of the islands are inhabited by the native Maldivians, who live from the wealth of …