In the popular imagination, the Maldives is a postcard of infinite blues—a tropical Eden where the locals are as much at home in the water as the marine life. But for many who grew up on these islands, the reality is far more complex. It is a land where the ocean was historically viewed with a mix of reverence and functional detachment, sometimes even serving as the literal "gondu" (dump or junk zone) for the community.
Hassan Ishan, a Maldivian photographer with a following of over 200,000, didn't grow up as a "water baby." In fact, he didn't properly learn to swim until 2017. Today, he is a vital voice for Maldivian conservation, using his lens and his social media platform to challenge government policy and protect the fragile ecosystems he once feared.
In this interview, Peter Marshall sits down with Ishan to discuss the cultural fear of the ocean, the accidental path that led him underwater, and how a single tweet saved one of the world’s most significant manta ray habitats.
You can find Ishan on Instagram @seefromthesky.
Peter Marshall: You live in one of the most beautiful oceans I’ve ever seen. Endless islands stretching to the horizon. Crystal clear, warm, tropical water. You’re spoiled with ocean beauty. For someone who didn’t grow up near the water, what's it like to grow up there in the Maldives?
Ishan: Growing up in the Maldives was different. Today kids are mostly on smartphones, so they don't really get to explore like we did back in the 90s. I mean I was born in 1992 and since that time I have been walking on the road without slippers, but now the world is different. When we grew up we thought the ocean wouldn't be harmed by anything. We saw the islands from far away, and we will think of a way to go there, but we are kids, right? So we can't even travel to those places. So there's this dream of exploring the ocean in the islands, but it's just a dream, you know? It never happens because the dreams come when you're small. Luckily I started doing photography. I get to do all these things which I love to do even when I was a kid.
There's a reaction of many foreigners, since the ocean is all around us, that we would all know how to swim. It's not the reality. Even I learned swimming only properly in 2017. The ocean is so close, but we don't really go there. I tried swimming with the fins for the first time in 2017. I didn’t even know how to flip it.
Peter Marshall: Ishan, that's crazy!
Ishan: Yeah. Even my brother, to this date, doesn't know how to swim. Many old men don't know how to swim because we can totally avoid it if we want.
Peter Marshall: Isn't that remarkable that you can live on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean and not know how to swim? The ocean is the most wild place, so close, and all around you.
Ishan: And many old men actually fear the ocean because if anything bad happens it would always be in the ocean. Bad weather could hold a ship, so people would tell folk stories about the ocean. All these things built our perception about the ocean and about the islands. But now it's changing because of education and today everyone is talking about the environment. And most of the old men are getting into business in the tourism sector. So they are coming to know the importance of the ocean.
Peter Marshall: It sounds like there's a healthy respect for the ocean, and some fear as well. Did you get in the ocean much as a kid? What was it like growing up so close to the ocean and being landlocked because of not knowing how to swim?
Ishan: Generally it's not a big fear, but when the ocean is rough, we respect its power. Then we definitely would fear what it can do, but as kids our parents would say not to go into the ocean. We were small, about 5 years old, and they wouldn't have time to go with us because they were always busy. So they wouldn't go with us outside, but they would send us outside to play around. They would always tell us not to go into the ocean just in case we might go missing. I think that's the reality. That's one reason why they say it, and they would make up stories to keep us away from the ocean. They would say the shark would come and eat you. All these stories created fear.
Peter Marshall: Of course. And you still went to the beach by yourself- no parents.
Ishan: Yeah, the island is so small the beach is just outside. So they would always tell us, “go play, but don't go into the ocean because something could happen.” I even remember one time my sister drifted away with the current and luckily someone was able to save her. So those kind of things happen. That's why most of the people don't go. And when the kids are growing up they don't even think of learning to swim and explore the ocean. Luckily now we have swimming classes, but back then, that was not even an option.
Peter Marshall: That's great that there are swim classes now. What are the stories that your parents would tell to keep you out of the water?
Ishan: Oh yeah. My parents would tell me there are sharks, and one time my mom's mother, my grandma, when she went to the reef to collect shells, she saw two sharks coming towards her, and she threw her robe at them to scare them away, and that’s how she escaped. As kids we are taught to respect the ocean. Respect the nature, big or small. It's all creation of God, so that's the belief we had as kids.
But because we see the ocean is very vast, we would call it, “gondu”. “Gondu” means “where you dump stuff.” That's the name for the beach in the Maldivian language.
Peter Marshall: No way! So your tropical ocean paradise was simply known as “the dump”?
Ishan: Yep.
Peter Marshall: That's wild.
Okay, I want to ask you about those ocean stories that you grew up with and what it was that helped move you past those stories and into the ocean? You're always in the water now. Every time I've tried to get a hold of you, you're always underwater. You must have processed through these scary ocean stories to get yourself to where you are now. What was it for you that got you over that early fear of the ocean.
Ishan: So when I was around 16, we went everyday to play football in the evening with kids the same age as us. And every day after the match at around 6:00, we went into the ocean to take a shower. That was the first point when I lost the fear of the ocean. I mean, I still have it. I wouldn't go alone even now.
Peter Marshall: Yeah?
Ishan: Yeah. I learned how to swim and all those things, but I would float on the water. I wouldn't go down deep into the ocean because if I closed my eyes, I was afraid. And at that time you know we didn't have masks or anything, so we would have to open our eyes, and we wouldn't see clearly. It creates a phobia. So those phobias left because we kept doing it again and again.
But after school I came to Male city, and I stopped going for a swim and everything. Then what happened was I got into photography. I started with a drone, and I started working with partners who wanted underwater shots. I wanted to, but, you know, I didn't know how to swim very well. Even so, I just went in.
And I saw the beauty. The corals, the turtles coming and just chilling with us. And all these things actually inspired me to go more. There's a lot to see. You realize it's a calm place even when you are working. It's easy. You could spend so much time there and it feels like one or two hours.
Peter Marshall: You're totally absorbed in it, right? It sounds like the beauty of the ocean really drew you in and got you over that fear.
Ishan: Yeah. Yeah.
Peter Marshall: That's amazing. Okay. So, you grew up going to the beach and people treated it like the garbage dump, and your parents told you stories to terrify you of the ocean.
Ishan: Even to this date when I come home and show my family my work, they say, "Why are you doing this? Why are you going to these places?" They still have the fear.
Peter Marshall: But you got into the ocean through your photography. That opened up a lot of doors for you. What was that transition like once you started working as a photographer and getting in the water more?
Ishan: In the Maldives not many people were really interested in photography for a living. For me it was a hobby which turned into a business in 2015, but not there are lots of amazing photographers on land, underwater, and from the sky.
Peter Marshall: And how did that happen?
Ishan: I worked in the airport before and back in 2015 I remember a friend of mine, a coworker, bought a drone.
He bought the drone, and I went to fly with him. After the first flight, I called Suha, my wife. She was studying in Malaysia and I told her the drone is amazing. I really want to take pictures with it.
It's amazing! I had a dream as a kid to fly as a pilot and to see how things look from above. I found an opportunity with the drone to see without physically flying myself. And I have a fear of high heights, so it helped me reach new places without going there.
Suha bought me a drone as a gift and since then I have been flying it as a hobby. Then what happened was the Maldive resorts started seeing the content. Aerial content was less common then, so I got a lot of opportunities to work with new resort openings. Within 6 months I lost my day job because I wasn’t showing up regularly anymore.
I remember I called a friend of mine who works with an architecture business. I called him and I told him, "Hey man, I lost my job. I need a job." So he told me to come to his office and help him market his company and visit resorts. One of the resorts we visited wanted underwater content. So my friend told me to take some underwater content, and I said, “I don't know how to swim. I can't.” But I didn’t want to let my friend down, so I jumped in anyways. And the moment I jumped, I see this big fish coming towards me. I was afraid of it and shaking so much. They were all laughing at me. And now even to this date when I see my friend, he says, “You remember that day when you were afraid to jump into the ocean and now you are 30 meters under water?”
Peter Marshall: What a way to start! So you were scared of the water, but you found your way in. You were scared of heights, but you started flying drones. How do you feel like remaining fearful of the ocean plays out for people who haven't had the experiences you've had? What do you think the experience is for most Maldivians who are still afraid of the ocean?
Ishan: We don't like change, right? It's human behavior. Most Maldivians really want to go into the ocean. When they see my pictures they say, “Oh, I want to go diving,” but they are afraid or else busy doing other things that make them happy. There is a fear, and they don't try to change it. For me, photography helped. I grew up very poor but all of a sudden I started seeing things, so I started doing more, and I kept my consistency and it went from there.
Peter Marshall: And so now you have, what, how many followers on Instagram?
Ishan: I think 200k.
Peter Marshall: Now you have this different voice and platform that highlights beauty and your ocean experiences. Recently you shared a story about how the policies of the Maldivian government were going to drastically impact the manta aggregation site at Hanifaru Bay. Can you tell us about that situation and how you used your voice on social media?
Ishan: Recently what happened was the government was going to put sand on an island which is just 1 to 2 kilometers away from Hanifuru, and if the current is moving, the sand would come through the island’s channel into Hanifaru Bay.
I went diving there with my friends and came up from the dive talking about the beauty of so many small, small glass fish, and they were laughing and telling me the government is going to put sand in this lagoon. I thought they were joking just to mess with me, so I didn't pay much attention until another day when I was telling the same story about this amazing dive site, and they again said that it could be my last time there. I asked, “Why are you guys saying this? Are you serious?” They showed me the recent news where the president visited the island, and he told the people that the government was going to reclaim that part of the reef for housing.
I was really frustrated, and I asked the people around me, “Why are you guys not doing anything? It's your business. And it's a protected area, Hanifaru. And it's a biosphere reserve. If the government does this, then I think that Hanifaru will be affected hugely.”
They said, “We can't really [do anything].”
So I thought I'll do something, and I just wrote a tweet and posted.
I took a screenshot and drew the map of the proposed land reclamation area and what could happen if the government does fill in the lagoon. All of a sudden the local news channels and NGO's started picking it up, and later they also opened a petition to get some signatures against the government to stop it. After 5 to 6 days, researchers and The Manta Trust also intervened, and they pushed to stop it. The government called it off.
Peter Marshall: Wow!
Ishan: So I would say the power of social media is great.
Peter Marshall: So that all happened when we met you in the Maldives, and you had just made your social media post?
Ishan: Yeah. Yeah. Just a week before I met you guys.
Peter Marshall: So the government stopped their plan? That's a pretty quick turnaround.
Ishan: Yeah. The Maldives is so small it's just 400,000 people, and I think about 100,000 are active on social media. And the government listens to what social media is saying. If something is bad, we would go on X and post there, and the government takes action. Not for everything, but we can solve many social issues on social media. Our country is small and no government likes bad comments. We start posting and keep posting.
Peter Marshall: This is the most encouraging use of social media I've ever heard. Do you feel an increased responsibility with your posts and your presence online to mention more conservation issues?
Ishan: I think even before I had followers, I would always speak for the good. That's something I really want to do. Speak for the good. It doesn't matter if it's environmental or something else. If it's a good cause, I would speak for it, and if it's bad, I will reject it. So I get a lot of comments on social media like, “You are a photographer; you shouldn't be doing political stuff.”
Some people will hate you, and, I say, “Look, I'm not here for hate or love. I'm just here to share."
If you like it, you like it, but it's always the truth I'm sharing. It's not lies. It's not made up stories. It's always the truth.
Peter Marshall: Everybody's political on some level if they care about their community.
Ishan: Yeah. Exactly. If you care, you have to say something. In our country, we don't speak up much. We keep quiet when there’s big corruption. We would keep it between us as Maldivians.
Peter Marshall: So they stopped the land reclamation, at least for the time being, in large part because of your post that you put on X. Tell me about what's so special about Hanifaru Bay to you? What experiences have you had there that would help people understand why dumping sand close to Hanifaru is absurd?
Ishan: Hanifaru is one of the only places on earth where mantas gather in such bulk yearly. Hundreds come together and roam in the bay for four to five hours every day or even longer. It's well known in the past 10 to 15 years now, and now many people, like the BBC come here. They all made it a biosphere reserve and world heritage site. Once it's a biosphere world heritage site, you shouldn't even be thinking of playing around.
Peter Marshall: Completely.
Ishan: I think that's a message to the world. I think, okay, we are responsible for preserving this site. We are keeping it as is, but the government is not listening all the time. We make a lot of money because of Hanifaru Bay. I mean, tourism, every entry we charge a fee to see Hanifaru.
Peter Marshall: Do you think everybody appreciates how valuable Hanifaru Bay is and how it attracts attention to the Maldives?
Ishan: I think almost everyone knows the importance of it.
Dhonfaru Island’s [the island next to Hanifaru Bay] people want to build more guest houses after the land reclamation, so they could make money from Hanifaru, but they are not thinking about the future, 10 to 20 years from now. So we are just trying to put sense into what is being discussed.Peter Marshall: Have you been in the water with 200 or 300 mantas?
Ishan: Yeah. I have been with a lot of mantas. You laugh under water there are so many. That's the feeling. You just laugh. I don't know how to say it. You just open your mouth when you see it like that. It feels like you are in outer space, and they feel like spaceships, you know? So elegant. They are heavy creatures, yet so elegant. It's amazing. Four or five meters wide and some of them 500 kg, 1.5 tons, and, just imagine, if they wanted to hurt us, they could do it easily. But they don’t.
Peter Marshall: If they had pumped sand onto that part of the reef, the sand would have drifted into Hanifaru and disrupted how the plankton collects there. Maybe the mantas stop coming? What is the right mindset for Maldivians when it comes to issues of tourism and land reclamation?
Ishan: I think we shouldn't reclaim many more islands to build resorts. We have 1200 islands in total in the Maldives, and about 200 of those are inhabited. Now you can count the islands without people and there are even more. Those are big opportunities to build resorts, but the investors are not investing in them. They are finding the easiest islands near the airport and the normal person doesn't know what is happening. We see, all of a sudden, a pile of sand on the ocean and only then do we know, “Well, there goes another island.”
There are a lot of things that happen without anyone knowing, like corrupt land reclamations in the Maldives. I don't think we can stop it because we have no idea how it's happening and most of the time, it's done through the government. The past government did it and the government before these two governments did it too. Every government says before they come into power that they will think of the environment, but we see the opposite, and I think it's because of the lobbyists and the business people who want to make money quick. They find a lagoon, and they will put some sand in it and build a resort on it. That's a big issue.
