Sea of Shadows

Andrea Crosta is relentless in his mission to protect wildlife through undercover investigations around the world. His organization, Earth League International (formerly Elephant Action League), currently comprises 12 international teams on three continents. His team of undercover investigators is extremely efficient and includes many operatives from China — the country where most of the illegal products are being shipped — but also former FBI and CIA operatives who have dedicated their lives to saving our planet’s wildlife. His investigation of the syndicates behind the totoaba trade started back in 2016, and a preliminary report into the Chinese trade was released in the summer of 2017. The investigation depicted in SEA OF SHADOWS targets Chinese traders in Mexico, and because it also involves the drug cartels, it is one of the most dangerous he has ever conducted.

Carlos Loret de Mola is one of the most famous celebrities in Mexico. Wherever he shows up, he is recognized and welcomed. But he is also known as a tough-as-nails investigative journalist who does not shy away from exposing corruption and sinister dealings. His most famous investigation helped expose high-level officials who were implicated in drug kingpin El Chapo’s escape from prison. When the vaquita became a national priority in 2015, Loret de Mola started covering the story and quickly discovered that major drug cartels were taking over the business, referring to totoabas as “cocaine of the sea.” It was on his daily TV show, which has more than 30 million viewers, that Loret de Mola exposed the dealings of traffickers such as Oscar Parra (whom the government has nicknamed the “El Chapo of Totoabas”) and government officials vowed to protect the vaquitas.

Dr. Cynthia Smith, DVM, is passionate about the conservation and protection of marine mammals around the world. She serves as the Program Manager of the VaquitaCPR conservation project, a bold attempt to rescue the endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. Her background as a lead veterinarian for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill investigation made her a perfect fit to co-lead the VaquitaCPR team, working side-by-side with Dr. Lorenzo Rojas, Mexico’s leading vaquita scientist. Dr. Smith is also the Executive Director of the National Marine Mammal Foundation, a nonprofit based in San Diego, California, with a mission to improve and protect life for marine mammals. The team focuses on urgent issues related to conservation biology & medicine, human-made environmental change, and endangered species recovery. Dr. Smith remains hopeful that we still have enough time to save vaquitas, as long as swift action is taken to conserve the animals, the sea, and the coastal communities that rely on them.

Jack Hutton joined Sea Shepherd’s Operation Milagro in the Sea of Cortez as first officer to help save the “aquarium of the world” and the vaquita porpoise from imminent extinction. His biggest idol is Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Just 21, Hutton brings a unique skill set to this operation: He is a master drone pilot. A key instrument in this mission, aerial reconnaissance enables Sea Shepherd to locate poachers and ghost nets, even at night. Whenever illegal activities are detected, Sea Shepherd moves in to chase off poachers and pull their nets from the ocean before any damage can be done. This has made Sea Shepherd many enemies in the upper Sea of Cortez, which is why it now operates under the protection of the Mexican Navy. Despite multiple armed attacks on Sea Shepherd vessels and the shooting down of their drone, Hutton remains eager to keep on fighting against the destruction of the vaquitas and the Sea of Cortez ecosystem.

Javier and Alan Valverde are local fishermen who would love to see the vaquita porpoise survive but struggle with the government ban on gillnet fishing, which prevents them from making a living, while illegal fishermen make huge profits. Javier’s family members are among the founders of San Felipe, making him a very respected person in the town. But because he stands with the government when it comes to the protection of vaquitas, he also has many enemies. His entire family, including his two sons and grandsons, are dedicated to the cause and help the government with the removal of illegal gillnets off the shores of San Felipe. After the Vaquita CPR mission was aborted, Javier and his grandson Alan vowed to do everything in their power to stop illegal fishing from flaring up in the area, but their hands are tied when it comes to the cartels. Should the cartels take control of the totoaba business, nobody — not even the government — can stop them.