Maybe it was just nerves. But the image of that dark streak lingered in his mind like a smudge on the glass. He let out a long breath, bit down on the regulator, and slipped beneath the surface again. The reef welcomed him back in a rush of color. He moved slower this time, turning his head often, watching not just the coral but the stretches of open blue.
His body was tense, ready. He steadied the camera and captured a pair of tangs gliding past, their scales catching sunlight like mirrors. He tried to lose himself in their beauty, in the calm rhythm of the reef. But even as he filmed, his eyes kept sliding sideways, scanning for the shadow. And then he saw it. No darting streak this time, no fleeting blur.