In the Land of the Swamper (2013)

Located north of the Honduran mainland along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, Utila is the smallest of the Honduran Bay Islands. Due to its mostly swamp and wetland cover, the island was remote and inaccessible until the 1970s, when rumours of hidden pirate treasures prompted the first wave of scuba dive tourism. Today, the island is a dive and party mecca and is considered one of the cheapest places globally to obtain a Scuba Diving certificate. However, although tourism is often embraced for its financial potential, the sector can also spearhead unsustainable overdevelopment and the exploitation of the very ecosystems that the local population depends upon for its economy and survival.In Utila, unbridled mangrove destruction, over-fishing and coral reef commodification are continuing to cause irreparable environmental damage. In the Land of the Swamper focuses on the plight of the endemic and critically endangered Swamper iguana specie, whose mangrove habitat continues to be destroyed for the illegal development of high-end housing and tourist-serving properties by local and foreign investors. Winner for Best Film in the 'Endangered Ecosystems Category' at the New York Wildlife Conservation Film Festival and Second Place in the Green Shorts Category at Cor3 Festival.