Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo — The 14th edition of the Ocean Festival inaugurated a commemorative mural in the heart of Puerto Morelos on Sunday, followed by a beach and mangrove cleanup aimed at raising awareness about marine ecosystem protection.
The event, organized by Delphinus and strategic partners, highlighted the festival’s decade-long mission to promote environmental education, marine conservation, and citizen participation. The mural symbolizes the bond between the community and the ocean, as well as the collective commitment to protect marine biodiversity.
During the ceremony, the “K’áak Náab” award — meaning “sea” or “ocean” in the Mayan language — was presented to Mayor Merari Tziu and artist Miguel Castillo Vivas in recognition of their contributions to conservation and natural resource promotion.
“The Ocean Festival seeks to send a clear message: the ocean is essential for every inhabitant of the planet, whether in the Sahara Desert or the Mexican Caribbean,” said festival organizer Miguel Canseco. “We in Quintana Roo must assume the role of guardians of this natural heritage that we enjoy today and that we have the responsibility to pass on to future generations.”
Earlier, 78 volunteers collected 72 kilograms of waste during a beach and mangrove cleanup. Special emphasis was placed on microplastics: participants sifted sand to recover 1.4 kilograms of microplastics and 300 grams of cigarette butts. These pollutants release toxic substances and persist in the environment, where they are ingested by marine life and enter the food chain, affecting the entire ecosystem.
The 14th Ocean Festival will continue with cultural and educational activities across Quintana Roo. On June 1, an exhibition will open at Terminal 4 of the Cancún International Airport, featuring works from the Children’s and Youth Drawing Contest — which received 758 entries from Mexico and 13 countries — and winners will be announced.
On June 5, the Cancún City Theater will host the Concert for the Ocean, accompanied by the first Ocean Runway, a stage proposal integrating music, art, and design with conservation messages. The festival will close in Playa del Carmen with another Concert for the Ocean and the awards ceremony for the University Short Film Contest, which received 107 productions from students in seven countries, reaffirming the role of art as a driver of environmental awareness.
