Stunning images of the Mediterranean shoreline

By Francesca Street, CNN

Published 6:40 AM EDT, Fri August 10, 2018

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Unusual angle: Photographer Tom Hegen captures the beauty of the Mediterranean coastline in his incredible aerial photographs.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Human intervention: The photo series doesn't just spotlight the region's beauty. It also highlights the environmental impact of human intervention in the region.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Changing landscapes: "The basic interest for me in my aerial photography is I try to show human altered-landscapes, so how we as humans change and intervene in our environment," Hegen tells CNN Travel.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Aerial vantage point: The water in the Mediterranean is often translucent, which Hegen captures in his aerial pictures.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Juxtapositions: "The idea was to explore a sort of integrated interaction of people with the landscape around the coastlines," he adds.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Popular destinations: The Mediterranean coastline is one of the most popular vacation destinations -- comprising countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Crowded spot: "Every year over 220 million people spend their holiday along the coast of the Mediterranean," says Hegen.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Coastal protection: There isn't much being done along the coastline to protect it: "Located in southern Europe, it is also one of the most crowded and least protected regions in the world," adds Hegen.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Boat life: Hegen's photographs don't feature many people -- but they do highlight the number of boats in the water.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Changing coastline: "Almost every square meter is altered by man over thousands of years," says Hegen.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Colorful pictures: Hegen hopes his images evoke "the color, mood, and texture of the Mediterranean."

Courtesy Tom Hegen

People and places: There aren't many people in the photos, which mostly focus on the natural terrain. In this image, the beaches are dotted with towels and umbrellas.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Environmental conscious: Hegen isn't advocating that we stop vacationing along the Mediterranean, but he wants travelers to be more conscious of the environment.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Versatile destination: In fact he thinks the countries along the coast, including Spain and France, are some of the best places to vacation.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Diverse landscapes: "Due to the density of countries, the Mediterranean is one of the most versatile places to experience European and other cultures," Hegen adds.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Varied terrain: "Even when it covers a comparable small place on earth, the landscape and culture can vary a lot," says Hegen.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Important impact: Hegen hopes his images will have a lasting impact: "People get attracted by color and abstraction, but for me it's also very important to bring a message across," he says.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Vessel for change: The photographer hopes his images will be a vessel for change: "For me the photos are basically an access to get the viewers' attention to certain topics."

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Bird's-eye view: The photographer uses helicopters and drones to take the images.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Natural intervention: Hegen also photographed salt farms in Europe, a more pointed comment on how human activity interferes with nature.

CNN —

Rugged coastal inlets, hidden islands and fishing boats dotted in crystal-clear water – where could we be but the Mediterranean?

Aerial photographer Tom Hegen visited this region to capture the showstopping beauty of this famous coastline and shares his shots on Instagram. But his photo series doesn’t just highlight the region’s beauty – he hopes his images are also read as a comment on the effects of overtourism on the area.

“The basic interest for me in my aerial photography is I try to show human altered landscapes, so how we as humans change and intervene in our environment,” Hegen tells CNN Travel.

“The idea was to explore a sort of integrated interaction of people with the landscape around the coastlines.”

Mediterranean magic

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Tom Hegen's new photo series features some stunning shots of the Mediterranean coastline.

The new series follows The Salt Series, Hegen’s aerial depiction of European salt farms – an artful but striking comment on how man-made activity disrupts the natural world.

The Mediterranean Series also illustrates the juxtaposition of man and nature, but in a more subtle way.

“Every year over 220 million people spend their holiday along the coast of the Mediterranean,” says Hegen. “Located in southern Europe, it is also one of the most crowded and least protected regions in the world.”

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Hegen wants to spotlight the environmental damage that can be caused by the high influx of tourists to the region.

The spirit of Hegen’s series is applauded by Justin Francis of Responsible Travel – a self-described activist travel company that focuses on the issue of overtourism.

“Travel has always been one of the most visual industries, now perhaps more so than ever with Instagram,” he tells CNN Travel. “Photography is the best way to document change. It’s vital we do this as tourism is a largely unregulated and unmanaged industry with the ability to change destinations for better or for worse.”

View this interactive content on CNN.com

Changing tourism habits

The parts of France, Spain, Greece and Italy that border the Mediterranean sea have long been tourist hotspots. In recent years, countries such as Morocco, Turkey and Croatia have also seen their visitor numbers soar.

According to the Mediterranean Growth Initiative (MGI), Morocco is the most popular North African destination on the Med. In 2015, the country had almost triple the number of tourist arrivals than 20 years earlier, in 1995.

The Mediterranean remains a popular tourist destination, despite the fact that the region has become the center of the European migrant crisis.

Responsible travel

Courtesy Tom Hegen

The images capture the coastline and sea in the Mediterranean.

Hegen isn’t advocating that we stop vacationing along the Med.

He’s also aware that – thanks to the aquamarine intensity of the glistening water – many viewers will be searching for flights before they’ve even finished scrolling.

He wants his images to evoke “the color, mood, and texture of the Mediterranean” and hopes the viewer will be entranced by this aerial peek into paradise.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

There are 24 countries that comprise the Mediterranean region.

“Due to the density of countries, the Mediterranean is one of the most versatile places to experience European and other cultures,” Hegen adds.

“Even when it covers a comparable small place on earth, the landscape and culture can vary a lot.”

In fact, the region encompasses countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Attracting attention

Courtesy Tom Hegen

The photographs aren't just nice to look at -- they have an important message.

Hegen encourages vacationers to enjoy their trips along the Mediterranean coast. He just wants us to remember the impact our activity can have on the landscape when we’re traveling – and he presents this idea through photography.

Courtesy Tom Hegen

Hegen hopes the photographs will encourage viewers to think differently.

“People get attracted by color and abstraction, but for me it’s also very important to bring a message across,” he says.

“For me the photos are basically an access to get the viewers’ attention to certain topics.”