Tropical Animals (Lava)

The Tropical Animals are characters featured on the 2015 Disney/Pixar animated short Lava. They are creatures living in a tropical cove of an island in the Pacific Ocean.
==Background==
The animal species watched by Uku and Lele consist of animals found in the tropic regions respectively - consisting of tropicbirds, whales, dolphins, or sea turtles respectively. Most of them are shown to be in pairs respectively and are shown to have an affection to each other - presumably either each pair or animals containing a male and female respectively mating each other as couples. When either Uku or Lele watch them - whether in the sky, on land, on the surface, or under the sea respectively, either volcano would receive a wish to fall in love with each other.
==Appearances==
===Lava===
A pair of white tropicbirds are first seen flying in the sky above a cove where lush vegetation fill an island, just before they fly past the face of a volcano named "Uku" who happily watches them fly in the sky. Just as the tropicbirds fly away, two whales breach out of the water happily and splash, just as their water splashes form the shape of a heart. Later, two dolphins play together in joy while two sea turtles on the beach embrace each other. This inspires Uku to look for someone to fall in love with as he sings to find someone he would love. Millions of years later, a female volcano named "Lele" watches two whales, sea turtles, and dolphins in pairs respectively above her, inspiring her to meet Uku who is above the sea just as he sings that he hopes to fall in love with her. Later on, Uku sadly sinks to the bottom of the ocean just as he sees two sea turtles above him, followed by Lele singing of her longing to have someone to fall in love with her. Furthermore when Uku and Lele's wishes came true to be with each other above the ocean, amongst the several animals they see in pairs are dolphins, tropicbirds, and whales respectively just before Uku and Lele happily sing that they are happy to be with each other.
==Gallery==
Lava - White Lovebirds Flying.png|Two tropicbirds flying
Lava - Whales Breaching.png|Two whales breaching
Lava - Dolphins Leaping.png|Two dolphins leaping out of the water
Lava - Animal Couples Underwater.png|The animal couples as seen through an underwater view
==Trivia==
*One of the two turtles mating in this short might be a reference to Crush from Finding Nemo.
*According to director James Ford Murphy and producer Andrea Warren in the audio commentary included in the Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 3, the part with the details showcasing the animals in pairs in an appealing way was one of the most challenging details ever added with the Lava production team creating a world closely resembling a realistic tropical island in an animated production.Lava Audio Commentary (Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 3, 2018)
*During the 2024 Pixar Fest at the Disneyland Resort, one of the limited time treats sold at the Tropical Hideaway area was the Pineapple Coconut Float, a limited edition treat inspired by Lava consisting of a pineapple Dole Whip soft serve mixed with Blue Dole, strawberry lava, and topped with a gummy sea turtle respectively, referencing elements from the Pixar short Lava.
==References==
Category:Pixar characters
Category:Birds
Category:Whales
Category:Dolphins
Category:Turtles
Category:Characters
Category:Animated characters
Category:Characters who fly
Category:Silent characters
Category:Adults