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In those days, Zihuatanejo was a sleepy fishing village, isolated and insulated from the rest of the world. The total population numbered less than 2,500 people. Fishing and copra farming were the mainstays of the local economy. The few buildings were made of crumbling adobe reinforced with coconut husks. The unpaved streets were quagmires of mud in the rainy season and rutted ribbons of choking dust in the dry season. Timothy Leary had filled the single hotel with his entourage of acid-head hippies and the town’s antique generator sputtered to a halt at 10:30. Nevertheless, when the boat dropped anchor in Zihuatanejo Bay, it was “Love at first sight.”

“In all my travel, I had never seen such a beautiful natural deep-water harbor,” said Owen. The warm waters of the tropical Pacific penetrated the verdant mountains of the Sierra Madres and mushroomed into a mile-wide bowl of pristine water. All this was surrounded by towering coconut palms and five beautiful beaches – one of which was protected by a legendary barrier reef. The owner of the boat decided that this was as far as he ever wanted to go. Owen, himself, quickly succumbed to the bay’s copious gifts of nature. “For what I had in mind, this was as good as it was going to get.” He said. “And when the sailboat bank in a freak storm, it erased all doubt.”

In 1968, Owen contracted fro a parcel of land at the seaward end of Las Gatas Beach and built himself a modest, palm-thatched dwelling. Then he set about building five ecological dormitories for his students, plus a restaurant to feed them. For five years, the Nature Study Center played host to students from over a dozen countries, people who wanted to live as a harmonious part of nature’s ecosystem. A charter member of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Owen taught SCUBA diving as a means of going back to our aquatic origins in the sea. “There you can see the whole evolutionary process unfold before your own eyes…” he explained. During the annual summer Sea Camps, Owen taught sailing, surfing and fishing as well as ecology. But then things began to sour. Politicians and the local unions objected to the dearth of local teachers employed, even though there were none qualified. The local clergy and a few mothers objected to Owen teaching that man’s multitude of gods are merely a metaphor for mother nature. The nature trails that he used for teaching were placed “off limits.”

In order to counteract the criticism, Owen offered his property to the National Parks department (under President Lopez Portillo) as an EcoPark, if only they would make him one of the directors. But instead of helping him, the parks department ignored him, and he was soon facing deportation.

Owen spent the next five years and most of his personal money fighting his case in court, but it was not until a Mexican friend, Hector Alonso Rebaque, came to his rescue that Owen was able to return to his own home. Today, Owen’s bungalows and restaurant cater to ecology-minded tourists under the name of Las Gatas Beach Club(.com). Meanwhile, Owen pursues his vision. Still trim and vigorous at 78, Owen is in the process of reviving the Nature Study Center as a non-profit educational organization. His aim is to promote Capt. Cousteau’s idea of living in harmony with nature through personal participation. He still guides ecology-minded tourists around the bay, over the reef and through the jungles. His efforts to convert the jungle train to a nearby lighthouse into a bona fide botanical garden are beginning to pay off. In short, he is still his own man, doing just what he wants to do, just where he wants to do it. And he invites you to join the fun.

Every year, his Nature Study Center (NSC) offers a summer Sea Camp (Camp de Mar) package for families of four or more who want to share their love of nature, water sports and each other in one of the world’s most beautiful settings. The Cap de Mar package includes a 15% discount off regular pricing on all lodging, meals and water sports including swimming, sailing, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and salt water fishing both big and small. All this in what is one of the world’s most spectacular tropical seaside settings.

For information and reservations, please click here