Happy Earth Day — and welcome back!

We couldn't think of a better day to release our second film. Because today is a day for stories about people who love this planet enough to fight for it — and Diving for Rays is exactly that kind of story.

It's also something a little different from what you might expect from a nature documentary. It's personal. It's honest. And we think it's one of the most important kinds of stories we can tell.

Now showing

Diving for Rays

Nicole Morris grew up in San Diego, surrounded by the sea. From a young age she knew what she wanted to be: a marine conservationist. Her favourite creatures were rays — gliding through the water like something out of a dream. The ocean became her sanctuary, and especially a place of healing as she came to understand herself as a queer woman.

But the more she found herself, the less she could find herself in the field she loved. The faces of marine science didn't look like hers. And for a while, that felt like an answer.

Diving for Rays follows Nicole as she takes her first steps back toward that dream — getting scuba certified, returning to the water, and beginning to reclaim the future she'd put on hold. Along the way, the film opens up a bigger conversation: about what it costs conservation when whole communities of people can't see themselves in it.

We started Wild Commons because we believe the stories that matter most are often the ones that struggle hardest to find an audience. Diving for Rays is exactly the kind of film we built this platform for.

If you haven't already, subscribing to our YouTube channel is one of the most meaningful things you can do for the filmmakers we work with. Every subscriber tells the algorithm that these stories matter — and helps make sure the next great film finds the audience it deserves. It's free, it takes two seconds, and it makes a real difference.

And one more thing: if you know someone who would love this film — a diver, a marine biology nerd, someone who needs a good story today — please forward this email to them. Word of mouth is how independent films survive.

Happy Earth Day. Go outside if you can. 🌿

With gratitude,

Matthew, Kika, Hannah & Jackson

The Wild Commons Team