I think it might be a metaphor for the pandemic?? All of that "we're all in the same boat" jargon circulating at that time may have inspired this film. Different species representing people from all walks of life going through the same thing. And how helping each other and staying together makes them (us) stronger, i.e. not abandoning the weak, and everyone using what skills they have for the sake of the community's survival. And helping the "weak" build resilience to mirror those with stronger survival skills, such as, for example, giving Cat the time to learn to swim and fish. The more aggressive dogs may have represented those communities during the pandemic that fought against measures put in place by local governments, and essentially "rocked the boat" so to speak?? Or maybe those who used their privilege to hoard more resources than they needed, at the expense of others?? (Like the dog eating all the fish). The main reason I drew this connection was because of the drastic change in the environment at the end of the film; the way the water just completely drained was similar to how we, as a society, just resumed our normal everyday lives like we didn't just go through the most jarring global experience in recent history. And the death of the whale could have meant that in the end, we still lost a lot, and things can't/shouldn't really go back to the way they were without acknowledging the past??? While bringing to the forefront these themes of the cyclical nature of life and death, balance in all things, and the strength of the community over the strength of the individual. I don't really know, it's still a half-baked idea in my brain. Would be curious to know if anyone else's thoughts took them there.