Saltwater Memory
In a world of unknowns, the water felt like the one place that truly knew me.
When I started this blog, I promised myself a few things. One of them was to never preach. I didn’t want to sound like I had all the answers. I just wanted to share what felt real in the moment. And if it was coming from the right place, maybe it would grow into something natural — like the shapes and patterns I love capturing in my photography. That felt like enough.
Yesterday, I found myself missing a past version of me. Someone I used to know well. Not that I’m a stranger to myself now, but still. Sometimes I look back and think, “I can’t believe I did that.” It surprises me. In a good way.
Ali Shah Lakhani
Not too long ago, when COVID hit, I started taking stock of my life — doing a quiet tally of where I stood in the balance between “Who I am” and “Who I want to become.” One wish kept coming up over and over again:
“I wish I could just be underwater and take photos and videos of corals and fish.”
A few months before, I had watched Chasing Corals — a documentary that hit me hard. I spent the next three months reading, learning, going down coral rabbit holes. And just a few weeks before the lockdown in Malaysia, I had gotten myself a saltwater aquarium. So when everything shut down, I found myself stuck at home — with an aquarium, a camera, and a deep longing to be underwater.
Ali Shah Lakhani
Right after COVID, I decided to take my first-ever solo trip of my life and travel for a week to Langkawi, Malaysia. Who knew this was the start of a long journey?
Ali Shah Lakhani
Ali Shah Lakhani
Little did I know, that unfamiliar world — the ocean — was about to become something I would know deeply. Something that would teach me things no book or video ever could. Over the following years, I said yes to every chance I got to be near the sea. At one point, I found myself living just five minutes away from an empty beach on the north side of Bali, building my own startup, and walking out to the water with my camera every other sunrise.
That’s where I taught myself to snorkel — badly at first. A lot of partial drowning, a lot of humble pie. But over time, it all started to click. And what unfolded from there felt like magic.
These are some of my first photographs from my first-ever solo snorkel trip that lasted over an hour. P.S. As you can see, I was learning how to edit. Colors behave differently when you’re underwater.
So this post — and this little visit to the aquarium shop — felt like a nod to that whole journey. A quiet celebration of how far I’ve come with the ocean, and with myself.
These beautiful corals are at Reef Life Aquariums
Different types of Goniopora coral compared to the video above. These pictures were captured in one of the aquarium shops in Denpasar, Bali.
These corals pulse, literally! These beautiful corals are at Reef Life Aquariums
There’s something calming about aquariums. Everything moves slowly. Life in a loop. You watch long enough and start to feel your own breath match the rhythm of the water. I stood there, hands in pockets, thinking about the first time I fell in love with the ocean. Not the idea of it — the real thing. The way it made me feel small but safe. Like it knew me better than I knew myself.
This was my first time witnessing massive coral structures underwater. This was also the first time I could hold my breath and take my camera down and capture photos of coral.
These corals are the size of a human leg. Isn't that just amazing?
These pictures were captured in one of the aquarium shops in Denpasar, Bali.
Before I go, I want to leave you with a song I’ve had on loop lately:
It’s from a game about an outlaw gang searching for loyalty, redemption, and a place in a changing world. Our paths may look different, but in some way or another, we’re all trying to complete our story. A story where not everything is always in known quantities. The universe throws us curveballs — some soft, some sharp — but they all shape us. Keep us curious. Keep us moving.
And to end, here’s a short video I made years ago when I had my own reef tank. It was the intro to a podcast I started called KeepReefin (yep, I did podcasting too — briefly). The IG channel is still up, a little quiet, but still out there.
This was the first time I taught myself how to capture a few short clips and edit them into an intro. In the process, I learned a whole lot of skills, including photo editing, videography, and video editing.
Until next time.
Stay real, stay salty!
A special thanks to the kind souls over at r/Birmingham. Yesterday, when I felt that reefing itch again, the first thing I did was post there hoping to connect with a few folks from the hobby. The replies were warm, welcoming, and generous — and honestly, it meant a lot. I’m new to the Birmingham area, and it’s been months since something or somewhere felt familiar. That small thread reminded me that maybe it doesn’t take much — just a shared passion, a kind word, and suddenly you feel a little more at home.
Ali Shah Lakhani