“For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on— whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time.

Curiously enough, the dolphins had long known of the impending destruction of the planet Earth and had made many attempts to alert mankind of the danger; but most of their communications were misinterpreted as amusing attempts to punch footballs or whistle for tidbits,
so they eventually gave up and left the Earth by their own means shortly before the Vogons arrived.”
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Diaspore presents “If Dolphins Had Thumbs”, a new commission by Sophie Rogers presenting a speculative future - with the impending destruction of the planet, dolphins retreat to the sea, leaving humans to their fate.

In this marine metropolis led by a Cetacean society, dolphins live by a set of complex social behaviours and relationships. Their ability to communicate effectively through a set of sophisticated social cognition, including language, shared goals, teaching, empathy and consensus decision making  has determined their leadership.

They charge themselves with protecting their ecosystem and develop research and technologies to repair damage caused by human activity. They cultivate coral,
protecting and nurturing it, which keeps it brightly coloured and healthy. Lobsters have been domesticated to be sent to shore, conducting experiments on land and bringing resources that dolphins might need  in their attempts at harnessing energy from bubbles.