The Dolphin Symbol: Meaning As An Animal Totem

With impressive social skills, certain grace, astonishing intelligence and almost supernatural instincts , the dolphin symbol has something to interest you.

When we think about its meaning, however, we can get a little confused.

It's true, we all know what a dolphin looks like... but how much do we really know about the messages it has to bring us?

What do we know about its history, and its place in the mythologies of the world?

Do we even have an idea of ​​what the dolphin represents as a totem animal?

In short, this animal has a lot to teach us and, today, together we will try to uncover its secrets as a spiritual symbol!

Understanding the Meaning of the Dolphin Symbol

To fully understand the symbol of the dolphin, you must first understand the spiritual messages associated with it.

As such, our marine mammal is associated with a whole bunch of qualities which, if you make them yours, can make your life better.

A symbol of cooperation

Bottlenose dolphins inhabit the Pacific, the Atlantic and almost all the world's seas. When scientists observe them in nature, they always come to the same conclusion: these beings are incredible sociable animals that know how to communicate and cooperate like few other species.

They thus live inside groups of dolphins where adults protect and feed the young, but also injured adults, and where complex strategies are put in place to hunt and protect themselves from predators.

While some species base their cooperation on aggression, our aquatic friends choose instead to build on mutual aid and altruism.

The meaning of the dolphin is thus that of cooperation, yes, but above all cooperation in positivity!

A symbol of freedom

Dolphins are known to be able to travel up to 130 kilometers per day. The seas and oceans are simply their playground. These animals like to move around and change the air (or rather, change the water).

They thus represent a certain desire for freedom, the desire to have no attachments in order to be able to do what we want with our lives. A dolphin will know how to tear a net with its beak and jaw, and its powerful fins will carry it away from its fishing enemies. No captivity for the dolphin!

Through its varied diet (made up of small fish, crustaceans and squid), it will find prey all over the world. The dolphin is therefore not dependent on its catches to survive.

From a more symbolic point of view, the symbol of the dolphin can thus indicate to us that we are trapped in our daily life which, with all its obligations, encroaches on our primordial freedom... and from which we would do well to escape from time to time. time.

A symbol of balance

The dolphin symbol represents balance, if only in its physical aspect. Yes, this animal is beautiful, graceful and moves in the water with certain harmony.

Due to its mammalian character, our species also sees clear differences between males and females, which complement each other within populations.

Where the notion of balance becomes more interesting is when we look at what is inside the dolphin, in his personality.

He knows how to combine great intelligence (practical and social in particular) with listening to his primary instincts.

Casually, knowing how to find a point of balance between these two facets present inside each living being is not an easy task and, with this in mind, the symbol of the dolphin can help us achieve it.

A symbol… of a whole bunch of other things!

The meaning of the dolphin is complex and, with millennia spent in contact with humans, many messages have been linked to it. We have described three of the most interesting ones here, but there are many others!

Marine animals have extraordinary messages, and our cetacean doesn't miss it. Here is a list of some qualities / traits with which the dolphin symbol is associated :

• Peace and calm
• Protection of one's family (and in particular children)
• The joy of living
• The calm, quiet strength
• Cunning and humor
• Sweetness
• Intelligence and knowledge
• Friendship and the importance of community
• Generosity

The dolphin in various traditions and mythologies

Each people who have been confronted with dolphins throughout their history will have necessarily found a spiritual (or even downright religious) meaning in them.

We are indeed faced with animals so particular, so unique in creation that they necessarily know how to express certain facets of the world better than any others.

In short, the symbolism of the dolphin, as a spiritual symbol in any case, is specific to each culture and, as such, we will now discover some of them!

Symbolism of the dolphin for the Polynesians

The people of Polynesia know many legends linked to the sea and the creatures that live there. For them, marine mammals are almost extraordinary beings. Whales, porpoises, orcas and other cetaceans populate their imagination.

Often, in their tales, it will be about sharks more than dolphins. However, some historians believe that these legends also include them, but simply that the translations would tend to place these two species quite close without the same name.

If we take the Māori for example, we can see that the dolphin is seen as a water spirit, a positive spiritual symbol of life and sharing.

Many stories show us how our aquatic friends were able to help men lost at sea or, more broadly, lost in their lives by showing them the right path to take.

Symbolism of the dolphin for the Greeks

It's difficult to talk about the dolphin without mentioning its place in classical Greek culture.

We are in fact here faced with a spiritual symbol, even divine, which was widely used by certain ancient cities.

The city of Delphi, for example, had the dolphin as its totem animal and the scientific name of our animal (Delphinus delphis) is directly linked to it.

According to Greek mythology, dolphins were also responsible for transporting the souls of heroes and righteous men to the Isles of the Blessed, a sort of paradise where the brave could enjoy eternal rest.

Also in Greece, the dolphin symbol was sometimes used to represent certain deities, notably Apollo (the sun god) and Aphrodite (the moon goddess).

The meaning of the bottlenose dolphin is therefore once again that of balance, of undeniable harmony.

To explore the subject, here is a rather interesting document on the place of the dolphin in Ancient Greece.

Symbolism of the dolphin for Christians

Many species of animals are described allegorically in Christian tradition. Obviously if we talk to you about it, the dolphin symbol is one of them.

The only moments where it is mentioned in the Bible tell us about it for… their skin! Yes, no fin, no fin, no tail, but their skin.

Although the word dolphin is found more than 15 times in the Holy Scriptures, it only ever refers to “dolphin skin”. The answer to our question is therefore not to be sought in this direction.

In fact, many believers see the dolphin symbol as a representation (partial at least) of the essence of Jesus.

Like Jesus, this animal is compassionate, loving, protective and caring. Clearly, certain character traits of Christ can be found in our animal.

The dolphin as a totem animal

The question of the totem animal divides.

For some, this is a reality that they have been able to experience, something indisputable. For others, the idea of ​​a totem animal is something nebulous, a mystical fantasy that is at best symbolic.

It is clear that at first glance, having the whale and seal as a totem animal may seem ridiculous (in fact, there is nothing laughable and these two animals have very interesting qualities) and repel those who would be associated with them.. ..

To get a better idea of ​​what we are talking about, here is an example of a short test allowing you to find your totem animal.

In short, everyone is free to form their own opinion, but the fact that the totem animal of the dolphin is one of the most often claimed and that, if only for this reason, it deserves our attention above.

To put it simply, the qualities of the dolphin will arise from its gentle, sociable and deeply lovable character.

People with it as their totem animal are naturally caring, have the desire to help others and know how to express their love in everyday actions.

More than a fine social and emotional understanding, the dolphin spirit animal allows its wearer to develop a deep understanding of the worlds of the supernatural and symbolism.

In short, we are faced with individuals with strong family values ​​and a close-knit social circle. When one of their loved ones is threatened, those with the dolphin as their totem animal will not hesitate to be protective, or even outright confrontational.

This importance of the group, however, comes with a disadvantage: that of dependence. Whether affective or emotional, or much more concrete (we can think of the economic aspects of life), the dolphin totem animal is associated with the need to always be able to count on others.