Take a close look at the painting above and use your imaginations. Maybe you can see a person in pink at left with outstretched arms, possibly giving signals. Imagine this person is standing at the edge of a pool. In the water, surfacing, painted in green, is a dolphin. Then look to the top of the page. There’s a large dolphin leaping out of the water.
Okay, now look below. The painting was actually made by a dolphin as our daughter Megan held the paper. It was one of the last training project with the dolphins during her month-long internship at Dolphin’s Plus in Key Largo. The dolphin’s name is Elvis.
Is it a synchronicity, just imagination, or dolphin’s mysterious mental powers? I’m not sure I could paint this well while staying afloat in a pool with a paint brush in my mouth.
This is so special.
I would frame that and put it where I could see it every day, imagine the dolphin energy on it.
I feel peaceful just thinking about it.
A self portrait of a dolphin and its human friend.
Thank you.
wv: subskul
oh, my goodness, cj, i didn't know that – what an extraordinary thing! and sad – don't you think! that captivity literally left a permanent disfiguring "mark" on their bodies –
Fortunately, there are scientists, specifically oceanographers, etc., who do study the marine animals in the wild, in their own natural habitats. So we do once in a while get to know how they behave when they aren't in captivity. I've always thought it quite strange and uncanny that the tail fin of whales will inevitably curve permanently when they have been placed in captivity, even if they are eventually released back into the wild. One can always know the whales that have been captured because that's when their tail make that curve. I wonder why it does that. Such an anomaly.
Maybe Megan knows??
Poignant and compelling question, Sansego.
Okay, I am completely jealous! I've loved dolphins since elementary school when my 2nd grade class volunteered me to draw a dolphin on butcher paper to make into a puppet for the class play in 2nd grade (I moved before I could participate in the play). I've dreamed of swimming with dolphins someday. I was angered when I heard that the U.S. Navy uses dolphins to sweep mines in the Persian Gulf during the early part of last decade.
If a dolphin painted a picture for me, I would frame that in a prominent place and invite people over for dinner just to hear what they might say about such a painting.
Dolphins are so awesome. Too bad we are so cruel to them in various ways (still haven't had the heart to watch last year's Oscar winner for Best Documentary about the cove in Japan where dolphins are slaughtered).
How might we react if when we die, we learn that God is really a dolphin?!?
wv: cadimpre (cad imp r e?)
Maggie – she loved it.
That's really cool…amazing! How did Megan enjoy her time there? In the photo she looks so comfortable with the dolphin. And the dolphin with her.
That's amazing! Absolutely! I had no idea that dolphins would paint at all, let alone do portraits!
What an amazing job your daughter has, and how very sensitive she must be to have that kind of rapport with these wonderful beings.
revolves around food,,, hmmm yeah will work for food, beer and hugs…. and maybe a little fuel should the temp. drop
appropiate w.v. per"she"
We are only just beginning to understand on so many levels.
They will be great teachers for us won't they? Along with all manner of evolved beings – four legged and two legged, fins and wings.
Lovely photo of Megan. ♥
Megan says they enjoy it. But everything these captive dolphins do revolves around food.
I have to agree with Debra – I hope they want to paint. But if this is something they want to do – can you imagine the implications?
what an incredible work of art! and then the photo of the artist at work! cj is right – not enough words to express the awesomeness of this – like mike, i've seen the artwork of monkeys and elephants – my favorite, until now, has been the elephants – wonder if elvis chose his own colors for his brush? great story, no matter that! and i like to think it's all three of those things – synchronicity, imagination and elvis' mysterious mental powers! [and artistic abilities] 😉
great post of these, our little mammal cousins!
Art is art, no matter who paints or draws it. Art is communication.
I do hope the dolphins want to do this, and aren't forced through conditioning. This is what makes evaluating interactions with dolphins in captivity so difficult.
Wonderful. Have seen pics created by elephants and monkey-tricks but this is something special. What a great experience.
I can see it! I knew you were going to say an animal had painted it. But I forgot that Meg was working with Dolphins. It makes you think! Pretty cool. It reminds me of when children draw stick pictures of their family members all standing in a row. They drew themselves with Meg! When I was younger I always thought it would be the greatest job ever to play and teach and swim with the dolphins. Ok I still think it is cool. A great experience for Meg I am sure.
Dolphins aren't fish. They are sea mammals who give live birth to their young, whom they nurse and nurture. They are sea mammals whose brains have been monitored and whose habits have been studied for decades as Man attempts to comprehend their capabilities, which on occasion seem to exceed those of the human species. They have been observed expressing grief, and they have been observed expressing joy, emotions we generally attach only to humans. They are glorious, apparently highly evolved creatures.
Very Cool!
Synchronicity,just imagination, or dolphin's mysterious mental power?
Either way,there's something fishy about this watercolour .-)
What can we say? Sometimes there just aren't words in any language to express AWE, and this is AWESOME beyond words! Wouldn't we all love to know what goes on in the minds of these astonishing creatures? And how wondrous for Megan. Unforgettable. How did she come up with such an out-of-the-box idea?
I knew they were smart, but I didn't know they are artists too. Makes sense to me! 🙂
Absolutely amazing! Fantastic! And what a wonderful experience for Megan!