How does a helium balloon get from your hand to the digestive tract of a sea turtle? A new documentary being shown at Cronulla Cinema by Carly Wilson explains how our celebrations are affecting marine life.
The movie “Rubber Jellyfish” examines the relationship between helium balloons and their impact on the world's oceans including six endangered species of sea turtles in waters around Australia, and considers safer, sustainable alternatives to helium balloons to use in celebrations or commemoration.
All released balloons, including those falsely marketed as “biodegradable latex,” return to Earth as ugly litter. They entangle and kill countless of animals and livestock through suffocation, strangling and starvation via blocking digestion systems, and cause dangerous power outages. Balloons are also a waste of Helium, a finite resource. Balloons can travel thousands of kilometers and pollute the most remote and pristine places.
Helium balloons burst into the characteristic “jellyfish shape” so they look like turtle’s favourite food, and the clips have been found in most migratory shorebirds stomachs causing starvation, and the balloon strings cause stranglehold’s on unfortunate animals
This week the Sutherland Shire Environment Centre are hosting a special one-time screening of the film “Rubber Jellyfish” at Cronulla Cinema after volunteers picked up 100s of balloon debris off local beaches .
When : Wednesday December 5th 2028
Where: @gufilmhousecronulla
Event Cinemas Cronulla
7.30 pm ecobusiness Stalls open
8.30 pm introduction to film by special guests
8.45 pm screening starts sharp
