2000–Present

In September 2000, Summerhays Films premiered a large format film called Ocean Oasis. Destined for exhibition in IMAX and other large format theaters worldwide, an education and outreach program was developed around this film to:

• Present the natural wonders of this region to policymakers and influencers in Mexico City to create value in these natural resources.

• Inspire, educate and create value in the natural wonders of this spectacular ecosystem for both the Mexican people and the world public .

• Roll out a grass-roots educational program in Baja California and the states surrounding the Sea of Cortés focused on teachers and school children to foster local stewardship of these valuable resources.


Environmental Outcomes and Successes

The Ocean Oasis program has motivated environmental action, ranging from grass-roots activities to national policy change. The film premiered at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. at an event attracting 1,200 people including U.S. Congressmen, Senators, the Mexican Ambassador, and his representatives.

At the Mexico City premiere of Ocean Oasis Mexican President Vicente Fox made a public proclamation to protect the islands in the Sea of Cortés and the surrounding waters by establishing Biosphere Reserves. In January 2003, President Fox dedicated Isla Espiritu Santos and Isla Partida as the first new section of the Mexican Biosphere Reserve, thus preventing their development as resort properties. U.S. and Mexican and US based conservation organizations supported the effort by  offering $3.3 million to purchase the islands. The government plans to incorporate other islands in the Sea of Cortés into new Biosphere Reserves.

Ocean Oasis also served as a catalyst in the establishment of the first Private Coastal Reserve in Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico.

Contracts were signed to formally limit the uses and activities that might negatively affect the pristine bay. Federal and private funds were acquired to improve an existing ecotourism camp in the area. Sport fishing and eco-tourism associations were incorporated and a local community resources center was established to run the program.

In July 2005, following two viewings of Ocean Oasis, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee selected the northern islands of the Gulf of California as a World Heritage Site.

Educational Achievements

The Ocean Oasis Teachers Guide and educational materials accompanying the film have been used to educate students at IMAX/large format theaters worldwide. In addition, Ocean Oasis is the central theme of an educational program, rolled out in a partnership with more than a dozen binational organizations, to increase informed environmental stewardship in the greater Baja California peninsula and Sea of Cortés. The most important initiative has been the development of a three-day Ocean Oasis teachers workshop designed to incorporate the film as part of the educational curriculum in Mexican schools. This program will reach 550 schools, 12,000 teachers, and over 720,000 students. The Ocean Oasis educational program is designed to encourage responsible ocean management in the region, and integrate the conservation of natural resources of Baja California into economic development decision-making. 

AWARDS : OCEAN OASIS

• Winner—Wildscreen Film Festival "Panda Award" also known as the "Green Oscar" presented to the "best large format picture" at the Wildscreen Film Festival (October 2002)

• Winner—Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival "Best Theatrical Program Award" for "the program produced for large format or conventional motion picture theaters that most effectively advances an appreciation of the natural world." (October 2001)

• International Film & Video Festival Conservation Award

• Houston Wildlife Film Festival Platinum Award

• SEASPACE/PADI Project Aware—Environmental Awareness Award (2003)