Pirouetting Dolphins Are The Spiritual Guidance We Need Right Now
By: Alex Harmon, images via Aquabumps
Australia is on edge. A global health crisis is developing at bullet train speed, terrifying news and misinformation is being fired at us from all angles. Who can we trust? We turn to our friends and family but they are scared, they’re confused, they don’t have the answers, some don’t seem to care (some of them even went surfing at Bondi last week).
When you’re not religious, who can you turn to?
Perhaps nature can give us the spiritual glimmer of hope we need right now. Like the stories of wombats shepherding animals to their burrows during Australian bushfires, we turn to the natural world to be our source of happiness. We don’t even know if the wombat story is factually accurate, but by George, we clung to that one.
A Release Of En-Dolphins
A couple of weeks ago, Bondi legend Eugene Tan of Aquabumps fame, was down at the beach (before they closed their proverbial gates) and scored some pretty epic shots. While he snapped the surfers hammering a 3ft Bronte wedge, a pod of dolphins decided to put on a show. The result was photobomb magic. The dolphins propelled themselves in the air like missiles, with the grace of ballerinas. The crowd went wild. I know, because I was there in Bondi, about half an hour earlier when they did the same thing. We gasped, we hooted, we looked at each other in awe. For a few moments, we weren’t talking about COVID-19. We weren’t debating school closures or hand sanitising practices. We were looking at the ocean like it was our altar and the dolphins were our pastors. Our fist pumps a collective praise be.
As Uge describes, it was as if the dolphins were saying, “Hey you land folk, tough times we know, but stay positive!”.
Message In A Bottlenose
In fearful times such as these, when the economy is in a meltdown, when we’re being implored to lock down, and the immediate future looks bleak, humans need hope.
So far, 2020 has been a year of disaster. It feels like the world is spinning out of control and we as a nation are unravelling. Even though it feels like the rug is being pulled from under us, it’s more important now than ever, to stay grounded. To find hope wherever we can.
Seeking Natural Joy
At WOW we encourage people to cultivate an optimistic outlook. We do this through mindfulness, meditation, through physical activity, through connections with others, by being grateful, and yes, through surfing. These are all enablers of mental wellbeing. Surfing can be described as finding joy in the natural world. It can shift our thinking from worrying about the past or future, by focusing on this present feeling. The feelings we have when immersed in the ocean. And although we can’t get to the ocean right now, we CAN find joy in the simple things.
Happiness Is Viral
Over in Venice, nature has reclaimed the empty canals, with reports of swans and dolphins frolicking in the rejuvenated waters. Sure, some of these ended up being false - but the sentiment is the same. When we’re feeling panicked, joyous animal footage can be the comforting remedy we need. We share these things with others in the hope that it will bring them joy too.
The idea that the Bondi dolphins were putting on a show “for us” can give us a sense of meaning and purpose in an otherwise frightening and out of control world.
As we come to grips with a bleak reality, the dolphins have become a nurturing warm blanket, placating us, whispering that every little thing is gonna be alright. The truth might be as slippery as a dorsal fin, but what else have we got to cling to right now?
The answer – each other. We can throw a life-ring to each other and to gather support. Now, more than ever, it’s time to dust off that webcam, or pick up your smart device and phone a friend (video call of course). We’re all in this together, and it’s our responsibility to not only look out for loved ones, friends and colleagues, but also to not be afraid to reach out if we need support ourselves. Send a text, a DM, a Zoom request, a high frequency dolphin whistle. Whatever works for you.
A conversation really can change someone’s life.