Cancun, Quintana Roo — The 14th Mexican Caribbean Ocean Festival concluded on June 7, drawing more than 1,200 in-person attendees across venues in Benito Juárez, Puerto Morelos, and Playa del Carmen, organizers announced.
The festival, which ran from May 30, also reached over 1.8 million users through social media, according to officials.
Nine events combined science, art, and culture during the festival. Highlights included the unveiling of a commemorative mural titled “The Ocean Our Home” at Parque Fundadores in Puerto Morelos. Artist Miguel Castillo said the piece aims to “encourage a sense of belonging among locals in Puerto Morelos, a highly touristic destination, and also make tourists understand that this home — ours — is also theirs, and caring for it is a shared responsibility.”
The cultural program featured “Concerts for the Ocean” performed by the Band of Music of the X Military Region at theaters in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, as well as the first “Ocean Runway,” showcasing beachwear made from sustainable materials.
Internationally, Terminal 4 of Cancun International Airport hosted the awards ceremony and exhibition of the Children’s and Youth Drawing Contest. The competition received 758 entries from Quintana Roo, other Mexican states, and 13 invited countries, including Canada, the United States, Spain, India, and Portugal.
Rodrigo Constandse Córdova, CEO of Delphinus, highlighted the exhibition’s impact at one of Mexico’s busiest airports. “Knowing that millions of people read these messages from children is priceless,” he said. “They are millions receiving a warm, honest, transparent, creative message from pure souls who only want to communicate their love for the oceans and their hope that we care for them and leave them better than we received them.”
The fifth edition of the University Film Contest “Minutes for the Ocean” drew 107 short films from seven countries. First place went to “Salven a Tortu” by María José de la O Arellano; second place to “El tesoro de Jessie” by Sofía Vidal Rosaldo; and third place to “Nosotros somos la ayuda” by Tania Luna Vega.
During the closing ceremony, the Solidaridad city council presented a special recognition to Delphinus for its work in promoting art and music as tools for social cohesion and environmental awareness.
