The Rebel Reef wouldn't exist without Tela Coral, the nonprofit at the heart of this story.

Tela Coral was co-founded by Tiffany Duong, the film's executive producer, and Dr. Juli Berwald, the lead scientist on this project, with a mission to understand why Tela's reef defies the odds and to protect it for the future. Their work happens alongside Tela Marine, founded and run by Antal Börcsök, which operates a free marine aquarium and protects the reef day to day. Over a decade ago, Antal and his wife Alejandra, then novice divers, went looking for what local fishermen called "rocas," shapes on the seafloor most assumed were just rock. What they found instead was a living, thriving coral reef in waters that should have made that impossible, and that discovery eventually led to the partnership that exists today.

It was through this work that the filmmakers met Christian Carias, Tela's only divemaster and the heart of this story. What started as fieldwork and friendship became a film, and the film became a way to bring Tela Coral's mission to a wider audience.

The Rebel Reef is, at its core, a continuation of the work that started with a single dive. To learn more or support their efforts, visit telacoral.org.