March 1 marks the first day of Dolphin Awareness Month. All month is designated to helping to protect and conserve the well-being of this very intelligent mammal. There are various factors that threatens the population of dolphins. We’ve all heard of dolphin safe tuna. Commercial fishing is a major cause of harm to dolphins, because they get caught in the nets and eventually drown. It's estimated that over 300,000 whales and dolphins die each year, due to these nets. Other threats include pollution, poaching, climate change caused by greenhouse emissions, and habitat destruction. Thankfully there are many organizations out there working hard to protect Dolphins and find solutions for these dangers. On this Wednesday Wisdom series, we are going to bring awareness to Dolphins with a few positive things about how they inspired the Advice from a Dolphin line.

Have a Playful Spirit, Jump for Joy, and Be Curious

Dolphins appear to tackle life with a sense of joy and playfulness, gliding through their day with ease. The ocean charmers often appear to have a grin on their face and a hop in their “step,” making them very popular with wildlife enthusiasts. Dolphins are social, living in a pod with five to several hundred other dolphins. Their mischievous tendencies lead to them fake fighting with their friends; at times tossing seaweed at each other or leaping out of the water together. Though, there may be a more scientific explanation for dolphins jumping 20 feet in the air, the appearance is that of a blissful mammal.

There are at least 43 species of dolphins (river and marine) and for the most part they only live with their own kind (that's who they click with). Their curiosity, however, has led Dolphins to befriend or even intervene in situations with other animals.

Find your Life’s Porpoise (or Purpose)

Many of the situations dolphins find themselves in, involves acts of altruistic proportions. They've been known to rescue dogs, seals, whales, humans, and more. For example a baby seal, who was stuck in a current too close to shore, was guided back into the ocean by a pod of dolphins. Another account was of a dog who was swept out by the tide and led back to land; and yet another dog was rescued from becoming a shark’s dinner. During a shark attack, dolphins will surround the victim and allow them to get away, often swimming at the shark in defense. They’ve also been the hero for many a human, during a said shark attack. There are other stories of Dolphins saving people who were stranded, drowning, or somehow in distress. The reports of these rescues dates back for centuries, baffling us just as long.

It’s hard comprehending that a Dolphin would rescue or bond with an animal that is not of its kind, but those philanthropic tendencies are the magic of Nature. It's a quality we all could emulate more and more. Perhaps it’s a Dolphin’s life purpose to come to the rescue of those who are in plight (Nature's Superhero)? To us, that's very inspiring.

Advice from a Dolphin: