Dolphin Tale & A Starting Point

Last year, I went to see a film in the cinema called 'Dolphin Tale' a true story, it was about a Dolphin who injured their tail, had to have it surgically removed and then eventually had a prosthetic tail made especially so that they were able to live.

As soon as a few ideas were mentioned in the presentation today, one being prosthetic limbs, this film came to mind.

Source : Google Images

'Winter' the dolphin was found in a crab trap washed up on the coast of Florida in 2006. Clearwater Marine Aquarium came to her rescue and saved her life. She was watched 24/7, but her tail failed to co-operate and had it removed. She couldn't swim, but a dolphin that couldn't swim couldn't survive. Her 'stump' could help her swim, but not properly, she wiggled from side to side instead of up and down, but the vertebrae of a dolphin is bred to be mobile for up and down movement only, the way she tried to swim was going to snap her spine and kill her instantly. 

They then found Kevin Carroll, one of the world's leading prosthetists who helped build Winter's bionic tail. It took a year and a half to make, eventually what was created was a silicone sock fitted with a fake tail. Winter is still alive and happily swimming in the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Center. 

(Research found at : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/1927254/Winter-the-dolphin-gets-bionic-tail.html)

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This idea on modifying animals even through Photoshop is quite intriguing. I remember sketching out my ideas for a montage project in college once and then testing it out from images from the internet and piecing them together. This is the image I produced..

I will take this into consideration. I will do some sketching and physical cutting/pasting.

My ideas have also swayed to music, with the idea of getting 'lost' into music and becoming adapted into a different world in your mind, body and soul..I shall look into this idea also.