Join the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center for a day of ocean and Great Lakes Films.
NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary hosts the Thunder Bay International Film Festival in partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival, the premier global platform for ocean literacy and education through independent film.
This ticket is for Program #13 in Theater 1:
Saving Seagrass, Robert Boyd (USA) 15 min
Filmmaker Robert Boyd documents the importance of seagrass by bringing us to the underwater nursery in the estuaries of Mobile Bay, Alabama. We learn of the dependence on healthy beds of seagrass for sea creatures of all sizes, from manatees to tiny seahorses. We understand how rapid growth is challenging this fragile ecosystem, and what we can do to help save it for future generations to enjoy.
Arctic Dive, Philipp Herrman Griess (Germany) 75 min
An international research team sets out on an expedition to the Arctic aboard the German research icebreaker RV Polarstern. Its groundbreaking mission is to study the complex interactions between ocean structure and dynamics, sea ice physics, biogeochemistry, and Arctic biodiversity including exploring the Arctic seabed four thousand meters beneath the ice. The film also provides a captivating look at life aboard a research icebreaker, highlighting the dedication and diversity of its crew, their strong camaraderie… and the ship’s iconic pipe-smoking captain.
Wild Hope: Whale Shark Homecoming, Geoff Luck (USA) 15 min
Watch as a fishing community in Gujarat, India embraces a cultural shift and initiates local conservation efforts to protect whale sharks after years killing thousands of the world’s largest fish. The documentary highlights whale shark slaughter in 2001. An NGO, a local religious leader named Morari Bapur, and Indian law inspire locals to pivot and rally around local pride protecting and honoring whale sharks rather than killing them.
Earth Is Blue: Giant Clams, ONMS (USA) 3 min
Date & Time
Sun, Jan 25, 2026 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Venue Details
Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center THEATER 1
500 West Fletcher Street Alpena, Michigan 49707
Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Established in 2010 by local community leaders, the Friends of TBNMS is a nonprofit 501(c)3. Its founders envisioned the significant opportunity the sanctuary offered for protecting our Great Lakes and their rich maritime history, hands-on educational experiences for area students, and local economic development. Today, that vision has become a reality with the Friends of TBNMS sharing a close working relationship with the sanctuary staff, playing a critical role in funding the sanctuary’s education programs, community outreach efforts, unique museum experiences, and research.
