Troubled Waters: A Turtle's Tale
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Troubled Waters: A Turtle's Tale
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Troubled Waters: A Turtle's Tale is an hour-long nature and environmental documentary that lists the various ways in which sea turtles around the world are endangered by the detrimental effects that reckless human action has had on the environment. The documentary also spends a considerable portion of its runtime profiling and interviewing various people in Florida who are working in both professional and volunteer capacities to help nurse turtles back to health and also prevent future harm (e.g. it profiles one brewing company that uses biodegradable six-pack containers as opposed to the commonly seen plastic ones). As the documentary spends time focusing on several turtle-affecting throughout its runtime-- rising sea and air temperatures around the globe, light pollution, and plastic debris in the ocean-- it also argues that humans should be aware of these problems as a whole and not just in terms of the effects they have on sea turtles. It's a worthwhile watch both because of the role models it portrays and because of the important wake-up calls that it alerts viewers to, but the images it shows of dead and sick and injured turtles might be unsuitable for especially sensitive kids.
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What's the Story?
TROUBLED WATERS: A TURTLE'S TALE begins by telling an Algonquin creation parable in which the entire world is situated on the top of a giant sea turtle's shell. This is an effective way to focus the theme of the rest of the documentary, in which various experts teach the viewer about the human-caused environmental crises harming sea turtles around the world and how these crises-- rising sea and air temperatures, light pollution, plastics pollution, etc.-- affect many more species than just sea turtles as well. The documentary switches around to many different sea turtle clinics all around Florida to build a comprehensive portrayal of these subjects and how everyday people can try and help as well. In the end, it builds an undeniable case for concern but also hope (a better situation is possible if people start to care more about a world larger than themselves).
Is It Any Good?
In addition to painting a comprehensive and sometimes graphic (there are several images of dead, injured, and sick sea turtles) picture of the ways in which human recklessness towards the environment has caused harm for sea turtles around the world, Troubled Waters: A Turtle's Tale also shows the wider effects that these problems are currently causing on the natural world.
The documentary is extremely well made because of one main fact: how many voices it incorporates. It might have been one thing to make a movie about one small clinic's efforts to combat humans' damage on the world, but it is another and far more difference-making thing to show several different clinics whose employees are all working to alleviate the same damages (which is what Troubled Waters: A Turtle's Tale is). It's obvious how much effort the filmmakers put into proving the dire nature of their message that humans should do a better job at living mindfully in the world. Further, the documentary offers many small ways in which people can make a difference (e.g. buying more sustainable containers instead of just plastics). Overall, Troubled Waters: A Turtle's Tale is not only emotionally powerful, but also impeccably researched and influential towards creating the difference that it says is so important.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the various ways the documentary shows that humans have contributed to the ill health of sea turtles and of the environment generally (rising air and sea temperatures, light pollution, plastics pollution, and more). What are some specific ways that you have harmed the environment, and what can you do to lessen these harmful effects?
Why are there so many climate-change related nature documentaries like this one? What are some of the benefits of making and watching climate-change-related nature documentaries?
What are some advantages and disadvantages to watching a climate-change-related nature documentary as opposed to trying to learn about and help alleviate climate change through in-person events?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 3, 2019
- Cast: Peter Coyote, Ted Danson
- Network: PBS
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: STEM, Ocean Creatures, Science and Nature, Wild Animals
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: November 16, 2021
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