

Not only that, but their playful nature and goodwill make them symbols of fun and play in the ocean.īecause they tend to live in family groups and are so community-minded, these social mammals symbolize family and society, too.Īlthough they’re pretty standard emblems of loving ocean life and fun in the sun, these animals have been so popular and universally beloved over the years that tattoos of them can have many meanings! Check out the list of popular designs below: Therefore, these fun-loving creatures are symbolic of help and protection.

Not only that, but they are strong enough to fight off sharks when the toothy predators get too close to their children or even scuba divers. For example, one ancient Greek myth involves a dolphin swimming up and rescuing a poet from drowning without ever having spent time with humans before.Ī friendly, underwater aid coming out of nowhere in the nick of time can feel so miraculous that many cultures associate the animal with supernatural spirit guides.Įven in modern times, these animals are known for being altruistic and rescuing not only people who are in danger of drowning, but even other animals, like cats and dogs, who are in over their heads. The oldest symbolism related to dolphins is protection and salvation. It’s no wonder that these spectacular animals are a favorite choice for tattoos!
#Dolphin leaping towards the stars tattoo movie#
In popular culture, one of the most famous characters is Flipper, a heroic dolphin who becomes friends with a child and spends a whole movie and television show saving swimmers and winning people’s hearts.ĭolphins are so beloved by humans, and intelligent, that we’ve not only named a Miami Football team after them, but we train and work with them in entertainment shows around the world, like those featured in SeaWorld, Florida.

He was written about by a Roman named Pliny the Elder all the way back in AD 77! Simo was best buddies with a little boy who fed him bread, and even let the child ride on his back. One of the earliest stories of a nice dolphin, for example, is one named Simo. These animals have also been known to act friendly toward humans and even rescue them from the dangers of the ocean, simply out of kindness. They have been studied to find that they experience emotions even more deeply than we do, and engage in play by leaping out of the water. For example, dolphins are not solitary, but spend their whole lives in pods or family groups. These animals have a number of endearing traits and habits that we humans just can’t help but admire. The main way to make sure you’re not noticing a shark is to check the tail: a shark’s swings from side-to-side, while a dolphin’s pumps up and down! In addition, these porpoises almost always look like their smiling with happily upturned beaks. You’ll know you’ve spotted a porpoise if you see a missile-shaped body, neat, sharp teeth, and a beautifully curved dorsal fin. There are more than thirty different species of dolphins, especially if you include their biggest relative, the Orca or Killer Whale.

They are known for their speed, agility, and overall, intelligence! This means they are related to whales and other porpoises, not fish or their scarier lookalike, sharks. These porpoises are part of the scientific order Cetacea. Before you decide on getting a tattoo of this animal, or try to analyze it’s meaning, it can be helpful to grasp what makes dolphins so unique.
