Lilly's work with dolphins and the development of the sensory deprivation tank have been referenced in movies, music and television productions. "Dolphin Island: A Story of the People of the Sea" is a 1963 novel by Arthur C. Clarke set in a strange and fascinating research community where a brilliant professor tries to communicate with dolphins. In the 1972 novel "The Listeners", Lilly and the other scientists who were members of the "Order of the Dolphin" are mentioned as pioneers. In the 1973 movie "The Day of the Dolphin", George C. Scott portrayed a Lilly-esque scientist, known to the dolphins as "Pa", who succeeds in teaching a dolphin to speak elementary English.