- Nikon’s youth photography workshop at Machchafushi explored the Maldives’ marine life and ocean conservation
- Centara’s Francesco Pompilio highlighted how sustainable hospitality and everyday actions can protect the ocean
MALE: In the Maldives, the ocean is more than just a backdrop to a luxury escape — its coral reefs and rich marine biodiversity define the destination and the experiences it offers.
At Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa – The Centara Collection, a three-day workshop earlier this month, with the Nikon Global Youth Program brought attendees, photographers and diving experts together to explore how underwater photography can inspire greater awareness of marine conservation.
Located in the South Ari Atoll, Machchafushi is surrounded by an exceptional marine environment. Its extensive house reef is home to diverse fish species, reef sharks and sea turtles, while the surrounding waters are known for sightings of whale sharks and manta rays. The nearby Kudhi Maa shipwreck, a 52-metre cargo vessel covered in coral, offers another distinctive diving experience.
Guided by Nikon professionals, participants explored the challenges of underwater photography, learning how light, movement and visibility influence an image. Photographer Ola Khalaf and Khawla Al-Shehi, the first Emirati scuba diving instructor, also shared their expertise and passion, demonstrating how diving and photography can become powerful tools for storytelling.
For Khalaf, photography is a medium of expression and a way to tell the stories of the ocean. Al-Shehi’s perspective reflects a similar spirit of curiosity: The underwater world holds extraordinary wonders for those willing to take the plunge.
At a time when artificial intelligence can generate increasingly realistic images, firsthand experience takes on a different significance. Encountering marine life in its natural habitat offers something that a digitally produced image cannot replicate. Through photography, participants were encouraged to translate these encounters into visual stories that could connect others with the ocean.
For Francesco Pompilio, cluster general manager of Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa and Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa – The Centara Collection, arriving in the Maldives three years ago marked the beginning of a personal journey towards a deeper understanding of marine conservation.
Initially exploring the waters through snorkeling, he was encouraged to try scuba diving. The experience changed his perspective.
“At the beginning I was just snorkeling. Then I realized how much marine life lies beneath the surface and how much we need to care for the ocean,” Pompilio told Arab News en francais.
Pompilio has made marine conservation part of his own diving experience, collecting waste he encounters underwater and encouraging others to follow suit. He sees these everyday gestures as a reminder that protecting the ocean is a shared responsibility.
At Machchafushi, the resort has increasingly placed the island’s natural environment at the heart of the guest experience. Pompilio describes the island through the five senses, from the sounds of birds and the presence of its ancient Banyan tree to the marine life beneath the surface and the flavors of its culinary offerings.
Over the past year and a half, his team has strengthened its focus on marine and island life, integrating environmental awareness into guest communication and daily operations. The aim is to encourage guests not only to appreciate the island’s beauty, but also to understand the importance of preserving it.
For Pompilio, sustainability is a continuous process built around practical measures, including reducing food waste, limiting material consumption and raising environmental awareness among guests and employees.
Operating a resort on a remote island also presents logistical challenges. International supply-chain disruptions can affect product availability, requiring teams to identify alternatives and manage resources carefully. These realities make responsible sourcing and consumption important aspects of daily operations.
Education, however, remains central to the approach. Pompilio believes that environmental awareness should extend beyond a guest’s stay, encouraging more responsible habits long after leaving the Maldives. Employees must also be involved to ensure sustainability becomes part of the resort’s culture.
The same principle underpins the Nikon Global Youth Program. By bringing young people into direct contact with marine life, the initiative offers an opportunity to turn curiosity into awareness and, ultimately, action.
“I believe we have to start with them,” Pompilio said of the younger generation. With the right education, he believes young people can become more environmentally conscious and encourage others to follow their example.
Photography and journalism add another dimension to this process. Images of coral formations, sea turtles and schools of fish can introduce the underwater world to people who may never visit the Maldives, expanding the impact of the experience beyond the island.
The workshop’s message goes beyond diving and photography: Everyday choices, including those made far from the coast, can affect the health of the ocean. Waste that is not properly managed or recycled can eventually reach marine environments. Reducing consumption, disposing of waste responsibly and sharing environmental knowledge are practical ways to help protect fragile ecosystems.
Pompilio hopes participants will return home more conscious of waste management and recycling, sharing these habits with their peers. For Centara, preserving the natural environment is essential to the future of island hospitality, while Nikon uses photography to turn firsthand experiences into stories that inspire others.
The initiative highlights a vision of hospitality in which discovery goes hand in hand with responsibility. The photographs captured beneath the surface may preserve fleeting moments of beauty, but their greatest value lies in what they inspire: a deeper connection with nature and a commitment to protecting it for future generations.
(Underwater photography experience at Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa Maldives, The Centara Collection, and Youth Global Program, in partnership with Nikon Middle East and Nikon India, with support from Lexar and Hollyland. Underwater diving and photography by Khawla AlShehhi and Ola Khalaf)
