Dear Friend,
Twenty-two years ago, I was on a plane stuck on the tarmac at LaGuardia in NYC on my way to Laguna San Ignacio when I got an unexpected call from a New York Times reporter: President Zedillo was minutes way from announcing his decision to cancel plans for the massive Mitsubishi saltworks there!
A year ago, many of you joined us for a Zoom Celebration of this Win for the Whales. It was local fishermen and their families who inspired an unprecedented global campaign to save this special cetacean sanctuary. With the generous support from that gathering, our Director Franco Campos-Lopez and his film crew were able to return to the Laguna for the third time – the first time during the whale watching season.
Today I had planned to travel to the Laguna with a group of great colleagues, friends, and supporters of our documentary project. We are going to meet up with Franco and his team who have arrived already after a 12-hour drive from Tijuana. They have set up their camp with almost a ton of cameras and equipment at Kuyima. See images below.
Yesterday I had no choice but to cancel my trip due to Covid. I was still testing “positive” after a very mild breakthrough case and no symptoms since last Friday.
Today I am deeply disappointed, but relieved. My co-producer Clate Korsant, who has a newborn, and my former partner at NRDC Joel Reynolds, who had a last minute passport problem, also can’t go, but Patrick Ramage and Jared Blumenfeld – both leaders at IFAW in the campaign against the saltworks and now key Advisors to our project – will be there. I am confident that they will be great hosts and will guide the discussions of plans for the next exciting stage of our project.
These days are challenging one. Our hearts go out to all who are suffering, especially in the Ukraine and still from the pandemic. These are the times that the world needs stories of connection, hope, and success – like the one at Laguna San Ignacio.
Today if you can, please make another donation, or your first, to help keep us moving forward. Franco and our other young filmmakers have made remarkable progress on a limited budget and in spite of Covid. Here is the sizzler reel for our feature doc that we released in December. As always, we welcome and appreciate the engagement and support of all who share our passion for this natural place and our desire to share our story with the world.
Warmest wishes,
Jacob
