From above, it was an extraordinary watercolor painting—an abstract work that extended for miles. The composition shifted as we helicoptered over the landscape: contours of white sand, pools of sapphire, brushstrokes of deep green. We flew along the ocean edge until all of the shapes came into focus, making up the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago, eight miles off the coast of southern Mozambique.
One of those islands is Benguerra, home to the Kisawa Sanctuary resort, where we would be staying and photographing over the next few days. After a one-and-a-half-hour flight from Johannesburg to the beach town of Vilanculos, it’s a 15-minute helicopter ride to the island. Kisawa has 11 private residences, sustainably built using 3D printing techniques, each with its own acre of beachfront property, a private pool, and an electric Moke (jeep) for navigating the island.
Our guide, Querino, who goes by Q, grew up on the island and has balanced his life between the local community, tourism, and marine conservation. “The first time I took some tourists from Vilanculos out on a dhow (a local wooden sailboat), their response was just ‘Wow.’ It was then that I first understood what an amazing place I am from.”
Q now works as Kisawa’s head guide and spends his days snorkeling, boating, and sharing stories with guests about the unique marine habitat that exists here. “I like to invite people to dive. When I dive, it’s one of the best days of my life, because underwater is unbelievable. It’s magical seeing the coral reefs and watching the behavior of the fish. I like to keep guests excited, to work together to protect this, because this is our home.” Kisawa partners with the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies, an ocean observatory where guests can visit and participate in research activities such as gathering marine data or tracking whale migration routes. Here’s a photographic collection of the people and places from my trip around the Bazaruto Archipelago.
Michelle Heimerman is the photo editor of AFAR. Previously, she’s held senior visual editor roles at Bon Appétit and Saveur Magazine. She is also on the advisory board of Lens on Life, a nonprofit organization, and has led photography workshops for youth at Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan and Yaoundé, Cameroon.