The sea is dark and vast. There are a great deal of stories and tales that come along with the ocean. All the stories are there because we still don’t know everything in the ocean and there are parts we still haven’t explored. That’s terrifying! Movies and stories of the ocean are scary because we don’t know what’s there and even some of the things that we know of are still terrifying.
Sharks, jellyfish, giant squid, sting rays and killer whales are some of the terrifying things we know of. Is there any hope? There is. Here is where the dolphin comes in to save the day. Smart and friendly, dolphins are some of the coolest things in the ocean. People love dolphins and they love them so much that they get tattoos of these mammals.
The dolphin tattoo is a popular one for sea-going people. Their fun-loving nature and free spirits encapsulate the kinds of feelings we all wish we had throughout life. Unfortunately, life isn’t always carefree, so we have to do what we can to make it through. The dolphin tattoo can be a reminder of those good times, but we will get into the meaning later.
In this post we will discuss some cool facts about the dolphins, so we can start to get an idea as to why people would get this porpoise tattooed on their body. In addition, we will go over the meaning of the dolphin tattoo and talk about the different variations of this tattoo that we have seen. By the end of this post, we hope you have a better understanding of the dolphin and all that it is about.
Dolphin Facts
Dolphins are said to be one the smartest animals on Earth. Bottlenose dolphins (which are the dolphins you probably think of) are able to send messages to each other using different methods. You will hear them squawk and squeak and also use body language. In their body language, they will slap their tails on the surface of the water, snap their jaws, jump high into the air, butt heads and even blow bubbles to get a message out there.
Each one of these dolphins has a whistle that is special to them and it starts right after they’re born. They use this whistle as a form of identification in the same way we use our names. They create a high-pitched frequency of clicking which acts as a sort of sonar for the dolphin. It’s called echolocation.
What happens in echolocation is the dolphin sends out this frequency and when it hits something in the water, it bounces back to the dolphin. With this information, the dolphin can tell the speed, shape, size, location and distance of the object in which the frequency hit.
In addition to echolocation, bottlenose dolphins have an acute sense of hearing. Scientists say that sounds travel through the jaw of the dolphin and head up to the inner ear and then it’s analyzed in the brain.
As far as their size goes, dolphins can grow anywhere from six feet to twelve feet long. They also shed their outer layer of skin every two hours.
One of the reasons people love dolphins so much is their playful nature. They are very playful and social and bottlenose dolphins create friendships that last for years. With their friends, they will mate, protect each other and go hunting. These mammals can swim up to 22 miles an hour. They use this speed to do fun things like swimming through bubble rings they made or surfing wakes and waves. They also love to interact with people on the ocean. If you have ever been boating in the ocean, you might look out and notice some dolphins swimming right alongside you.
Dolphin Tattoo Meaning
Now that you have a good idea about what the dolphin is a what it does, we can talk about what they symbolize. In general, the dolphin symbolizes humor, willpower, happiness, teamwork, wholeness, virtue, courtesy and mental acuity. As you can see, most of the symbolism revolves around positivity.
When you watch a dolphin in their environment, you will notice their peaceful personalities and it is pretty obvious. They don’t seem to have any issues with humans or other creatures of the sea. Because of this, the dolphin is known as the diplomat of the sea. It can build bridges between nature and mankind. Their power with regards to the Water Element is obvious but we can’t look past their connection with the Air Element. The dolphin expresses its intellect of the air and emotion of water in harmony with each other.
The dolphin has been likened to an aspect of Christ in the way that the dolphins would transport the spirits into the afterlife and to Christ’s side. In this way, dolphins are considered to represent new life.
In the Hindu religion, it is said that Ganga (goddess of the Ganges River) would ride a dolphin from the heavens down to Earth. Two dolphins in a tattoo could form the shape of the Yin Yang which represents balance of life and harmony. Even the Native Americans looked at the dolphin as a messenger of knowledge that comes from deep inside us.
Dolphin Tattoo Variations
Dolphins have long been popular subjects of tattoos. Being a popular topic for so long means some different variations come up when looking for dolphin tattoos. Below are a few we enjoyed.
Two Dolphins Forming a Heart
Someone who loves dolphins, the sea and anything related might get a tattoo of two dolphins coming out of the water facing each other in the shape of a heart. It’s a creative way to show your love of the dolphin and its habitat.
Yin Yang Dolphin Tattoo
As we said before, the Chinese and people of the Hindu religion looked very highly on the dolphin and thought it carried magical powers. When the dolphins are in the shape of the yin-yang, they represent balance in life and harmony.