Synopsis:

Imagine, waking up being covered in third-degree burns, that’s what it’s like for the Burrunan dolphins in Australia. But why is this happening? That’s what Dr. Duignan, Director of Pathology at The Marine Mammal Center, Dr. Stephen’s from Murdoch University, and Dr. Robb from the Marine Mammal Foundation had to find out. This film explores this international collaboration that proves for the first time that these lesions being found on cetaceans around the world are only caused by climate change.

Review by Julie Sheppard:

From the opening frame of this short film “The Dolphin Dilemma” warning that the “program contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing”, I was gearing up for the worst. And, after watching the film in full I did find myself, at times, feeling quite disturbed. The film does an excellent job presenting the case that climate change is responsible for catastrophic damage to the globe. Specifically, the film displays in a crystal clear way how climate change is causing Burrunan dolphins in Australia to develop life-threatening skin lesions, due to the increase in heavy fresh water rainfall in otherwise salt water, the water in which dolphins usually thrive and for which their skin is suited. The devoted local scientists and PhD candidate do a convincing job in their interviews, detailing their processes of investigation about these lesions, and how they finally deduce that climate change is indeed the culprit.

The film masterly uses CGI diagrams to explain the increase of fresh water in the area after heavy rainfall, and how the cells of dolphin skin can no longer keep water out due to the increased exposure to fresh water. It also explains climate change using CGI in such an effective way, to non-scientific types such as myself.

The display of terrifying still photos of lesion-ridden dolphins is fortunately offset by the playful under and over water footage of frolicking dolphins shot from the boat of the observing scientists. The effective soundtrack often moves the tone of the piece from ominous to fanciful and upbeat.

Presenting a rather optimistic outlook overall, the film gives the viewer an inside look at the development of the Marine Mammal Foundation, which helps to educate and strive for policies to combat climate change, by acknowledging that the dolphin is an important “indicator species” to show the state of the world’s environment. For such a short film, it really stirs the fire for change in the viewer seeing one of the most beloved mammals suffer in this way. It swimmingly achieves its goal. 

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