“El Pulmo,” a documentary that tells the story of a fisherman’s transformation and the recovery of Cabo Pulmo

At the Los Cabos International Film Festival, one of the projects that generated the most enthusiasm was the presentation of the documentary “El Pulmo,” directed by Mark Kronemeyer and Begoña Félix. The film delves into the life of Mario Castro, a native of Cabo Pulmo, whose personal story intertwines with the ecological conservation process of one of the most important marine reserves in Baja California Sur.

Far from fiction, “El Pulmo” is a documentary portrait that follows the journey of Mario Castro, who for years worked in industrial fishing and witnessed firsthand the deterioration of the marine ecosystem. Faced with dwindling resources and uncertainty for his family, Castro decided to seek an alternative: he trained as a professional diver and brought that knowledge back to his community, promoting ecotourism as a sustainable means of livelihood.

During his presentation, Mario Castro explained that the documentary is, above all, a message. A call to acknowledge the mistakes made as a society and to assume the responsibility of caring for the natural environment, thinking of future generations. He emphasized that the main motivation for his struggle has always been the well-being of children and the need to bequeath them a healthy world.

Thanks to community efforts, Cabo Pulmo has achieved a historic recovery. According to Castro, constant monitoring of the reef reflects an increase of nearly 600 percent in marine biomass, an achievement he attributes to the collective commitment to stop depleting resources and instead focus on conservation. Today, entire families who previously made their living from fishing are dedicated to ecotourism and the protection of the natural area.

Mario Castro stressed that Cabo Pulmo does not belong to a single community, but to everyone. He pointed out that its conservation has been possible thanks to a shared vision between local residents and specialists, and emphasized that this model can be replicated in other places. “There are more Cabo Pulmos,” he affirmed, insisting that all that is needed is to recognize them and work diligently to protect them.

The screening of Pulmo not only celebrates an environmental success story, but also invites the audience to reflect on the role each person can play in protecting our natural heritage. The documentary makes it clear that conservation is not a privilege, but a collective responsibility.