Once hiding secretly beneath the thwarts of a small dinghy just to ensure he wasn’t left behind on voyages, Abdullah Didi—affectionately known as Reetibey from Mushtareevuge, GA. Kanduhulhudoo—has today grown into a legendary master skipper revered across the entire Huvadhu Atoll.
Enduring countless dark, menacing nights on the open ocean without a hint of fear, Reetibey’s life at sea is a testament to true resilience. As a young boy around 11 or 12 years old, his passion for the ocean was so fierce that when his family refused to take him along on maritime trips, he would sneak away and hide beneath the wooden floorboards (the thwarts) of the dinghy. He would only emerge from his hiding spot after the vessel had sailed far from shore, leaving the crew with no choice but to take him along. That was how his lifelong voyage began.
Reflecting on his earliest memories, Reetibey recalled that his very first journey onto the water was sailing on Hassanbey’s dinghy alongside his aunt Aisathya to collect cowries (boli) at Maavarulu—dating back to the early 1900s. It was during these early escapades that the marine life and beauty of the sea captured his heart.
Although he spent decades around the water, Reetibey didn’t step into professional pole-and-line tuna fishing until about ten years ago. Alongside his family, he built their own fishing vessel, the "Gallery," bringing it back to his home island. Ever since transitioning into commercial fishing, he has earned widespread renown as a fearless, hard-wearing master fisherman. Figuratively speaking, Reetibey describes himself as a "sea phantom"—a title earned through a lifetime spent braving extreme weather, towering swells, and treacherous, storm-tossed nights on the open blue.
Today, Reetibey no longer needs to hide to catch a voyage. Standing firmly at the helm of his vessel as an experienced master skipper (keyolhu), he safely guides a full crew through heavy seas, embodying a legacy born from a little boy who simply refused to be left behind.
