Join us at Patagonia Salt Lake City for a screening of The Last Dive, a new documentary following the story of a giant manta ray off the coast of Mexico, followed by a panel discussion.
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Terry is a legendary figure in Baja Mexico, an American veteran who has spent decades living on—and in—the water. Once a man burdened by a troubled past, Terry’s life was transformed by an unlikely friendship with Willy, a 22-foot oceanic manta ray. For nearly two decades, Willy would slap his wings against the hull of Terry’s sailboat to signal their next dive, and together they explored the ocean’s depths—an extraordinary bond that turned Terry into an unexpected conservationist. Now in his 80’s, Terry embarks on one final journey to a remote island in hopes of reuniting with his old friend. But he’s also searching for something deeper: peace, closure, and a chance to say goodbye.
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Directed by award-winning filmmaker Cody Sheehy and produced by acclaimed Mark Monroe, The Last Dive is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant documentary that invites viewers to reflect on our connection to the natural world—and the wild, mysterious creatures that help us find our place in it. Learn more about the film here.
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Runtime of this documentary is 90 minutes, with a panel discussion following the film. We'll be joined by Frances Ngo from Sageland Collaborative and filmmaker Will Freund in store as well as the film's director Cody Sheehy virtually.Â
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Frances joined Sageland Collaborative in late 2024. She is a tiny biologist, artist, spicy food enthusiast, collector of dead things, and a multiracial poet. Frances received a B.S. in Zoology with a minor in Painting from the University of Wyoming. Her wildlife career has taken her to the Sonoran Desert, Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, and the cloud forests of Ecuador! Prior to joining the team, she’d spent four years as Tracy Aviary’s Conservation Outreach Biologist. Frances’ fieldwork playlist will always include bachata or cumbia and she WILL ask you to dance!Â
In her role as Sageland’s Community Engagement & Outreach Specialist, Frances is excited to delve into building new partnerships that reflect the diversity of voices and communities that exist within conservation!Â
Being born along the shores of Lake Erie and spending most of his life along the east coast of the United States, Will has a lifelong connection to water and now shares that passion through his career as an Educator, Filmmaker, and Science Connector. Will Freund is a lifelong educator currently applying his trade at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium as well as serving on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Educators of North Carolina. As a filmmaker, he has directed and produced two environmental adventure documentaries receiveing recognition at Seattle Film Festival, Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival, and Nature Now Film Festival. Will has also previously served as a Sustainable Ocean Alliance Hub Advisor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill while working at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on the North Carolina Science Festival team. His driving passion is to lower the threshold to entry for all creative and educational endeavors while addressing planetary health.
Cody Sheehy is an award-winning filmmaker whose films intimately tell the stories of characters challenged by our changing world. He has lived on a sailboat for decades and is the founder of Rhumbline Media. As a filmmaker, he is best known for the film Make People Better, which was an official selection of HotDocs and the winner of DocVille.
Rose Smith joined the Sageland Collaborative team in 2021. She received a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Mount Holyoke College. Her doctoral research focused on the ways in which human-built infrastructure affects water quality and greenhouse gas production in urban waterways. Rose moved to Utah in 2016 to pursue postdoctoral research at the University of Utah on the intersection of hydrology and ecology in human-impacted waterways. Her work there included a study on flow sources to the Jordan River, and implementation of green infrastructure on the University of Utah campus using native plants. Dr. Smith also taught an Urban Ecology course at the University of Utah to students in the Masters' in City & Metropolitan Planning department.
As a part of the Sageland Collaborative team, Rose manages the Riverscape Restoration Program. She works with diverse partners to both implement and conduct research on low-tech restoration practices across the western United States. Rose brings experience in ecosystem ecology, urban planning, hydrology, spatial analysis methods, and watershed-scale restoration practices to the program.
Rachel Lake is a first-generation American born and raised in Murray, Utah, with deep roots in Salt Lake City. She holds a degree in Biology from the University of Utah, driven by a lifelong love of Utah’s native plants and ecological diversity. Rachel has worked as a field ecologist with Utah Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps, doing restoration work in the deserts of Tooele and Iron Counties. Rachel is the Event Manager and a senior staff member at Grow the Flow, where she manages the Salt Lake City volunteer base. She views the Great Salt Lake as a sacred embodiment of the interconnectedness of life and is motivated by a desire to build family here, making the protection of the lake deeply personal and spiritual. Rachel now lives in Sandy with her two cats and fiancé, and considers it an honor to share the last name Lake with the Great Salt Lake. A connection that has become a bridge for community building.
Danny Quintana founded Saving Oceans in Salt Lake City, UT in 2016. He was doing research for his book Space & Ocean Exploration the Alternative to the Military Industrial Complex when he discovered staggering data about earth's oceans: 50% of the ocean's wildlife is gone, 90% of the predator fish have been killed, and humans are killing 200,000 sharks everyday for shark fin soup. He said to himself, "I've got to do something about this!"; thus, Saving Oceans was created! You may be asking yourself, "Why would a non-profit that supports the oceans get started in Utah?", they get this question asked a lot! Their answer is that the ocean's protection reaches far beyond its shorelines. They believe that we must take collective action as consumers to make the changes we want to see in the oceans.
