The Magdalena River is the most important river in Colombia. Flowing northward, about 1,528 kilometers through the western part of the country, providing food and sustenance to many fishermen of Bocas de Ceniza, Colombia. This forgotten place, a narrow embankment, it is given its name by the murky color that the Caribbean Sea water gets as it receives the end of the Magdalena River. Home to more than fifty fishermen who live in extreme living and weather conditions and it is where some have lived for more than sixty years, and for many, their homes get destroyed when the water tide rises and the wind force increases. In addition, because of the heavy piles of trash in the Magdalena River, the high tide fills their surroundings with plastic and trash making it unsafe and dirty. Despite the government's knowledge of this issue, it is constantly ignored and these individuals make a living and survive withstanding these concerns. Although they live independently, fishing is their main source of income and food for themselves and their families who live back in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia.
Karen Arango is a Sarasota-based freelance photojournalist, filmmaker, and teacher who currently works for Sarasota Magazine, The Community Foundation of Sarasota, and Ringling College.