Encinitas filmmakers Cheryl Dean and Nick Dean earned Rep. Mike Levin's August 2026 Co-Constituents of the Month honor for their work documenting the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

The couple co-founded Spindrift Images, an independent documentary production company that has told ocean stories for more than a decade. Their latest film, "The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope," is the first documentary to bring together right whale stories from around the world, according to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which hosted a screening.

The one-hour film follows the whales from sub-Antarctic waters south of New Zealand to the gulfs of Patagonia, the southern coast of Australia and the industrialized eastern seaboard of North America.

Fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales survive. Only about 70 are breeding females, according to Defenders of Wildlife.

Levin, who represents California's 49th Congressional District, praised the Deans in a statement entered into the Congressional Record. He said their dedication took them across four continents and called them uniquely effective storytellers and advocates. His Constituent of the Month program recognizes North County San Diego and South Orange County residents who give back to their communities, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Nick Dean, who holds a Ph.D. from a U.K. university, published more than 100 research articles during a 25-year scientific career before he began filming underwater wildlife in 2010, according to the couple's production company website. Cheryl Dean has spent her career translating scientific research for general audiences. She has served as president of the San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition since 2015 and is a past board member of the San Diego Underwater Photographic Society.

Before "The Right Whale," the Deans produced and directed "The Witness Is a Whale," a documentary narrated by Jonathan Pryce that aired on BBC Four. The film won Best Feature Documentary at the 2022 Blue Water Film Festival in Santa Monica and Best Film in the climate protection category at Germany's Filmfestival Ökofilmtour the same year, according to Terra Mater Factual Studios. It was also a finalist at the 2022 United Nations World Wildlife Day Film Showcase.

In 2025, the Deans founded the Spindrift Images Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Encinitas. The foundation's current campaign centers on "The Right Whale," with targeted screenings that include a planned U.S. Congressional showing, according to the foundation's website. The organization is also working with conservation groups to defend the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to push for whale-safe fishing gear and stronger ship speed limits.

No upcoming local screening dates in Encinitas have been announced.