Why do we have such an affinity for cetaceans? I mean, of all the wild animals on our planet, none have captured our hearts as cetaceans have. We’ve made movies about them, we constantly film them in the wild, we spread stories about them beaching and their images are spread on items throughout our society. Sadly we also capture them and use them for entertainment. But why them?
I have a theory that they represent certain aspects of ourselves that we yearn to express in our own lives. Whales for example- and I am inspired by Bashar when I say this- represent a sense of absolute conviction and certainty. There is no animal other than an elephant maybe, that demands the sort of respect a multi-ton whale does. The way a whale expresses the aspects of certainty and conviction can be clearly seen- at least by me- as it moves through the ocean. It’s not hard to see why they are so certain in their movements; there is no other animal big enough to question a whale’s movements. Whales are some of the largest animals that have ever graced our planet, with the Blue Whale being the largest of all animals ever. Whales are so large that they must live in the ocean because there is no way for their mass to be supported by legs on land. It’s pretty incredible stuff. (By the way, check out this video to see what I’m talking about)
Notice I said previously that whales are some of the largest animals that have ever graced our planet. Grace is another word to describe whales and it is their grace that grows our fondness for them. Whales are large enough to be the absolute tyrants of the oceans, and yet they aren’t. They exist with a sense of balance and respect for all the other creatures in their habitat. They don’t trash about, disturbing everything in their wake, but rather slip through the water very cleanly. Even when they jump out of the water, they exude a graceful strength and power.
Whales are also inquisitive and intelligent. There seems to be a reasoning behind their movements, which seems to be missing from the other creatures of the ocean. I am constantly amazed that giant whales don’t attack divers or break little kayaks when they breach. Once again, there is that sense of grace again.
On the other side of the cetacean scale, we have the dolphins. Now, I don’t think I have to explain why dolphins are so deeply embedded in our hearts. One look at their permanent smiles, their playful nature and their inquisitiveness is enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. Dolphins play for no other reason than because it’s fun. They exude a sense of unbridled joy and enthusiasm for life and I think it is this aspect of them that we so deeply yearn to express in our own lives. Very rarely will you see a person who has that same depth of joy and enthusiasm as a dolphin portrays.
Now, some of you may have seen the video of my thoughts on the animal abuse at Marineland. I’m continuing the theme here because I saw a symbology in the situation at Marineland that reflects the nature of ourselves. You don’t have to know Marineland to relate to this symbology. You can use SeaWorld or an other aquarium instead. So here goes: The situation at Marineland, where animals lived in poor water conditions is reflective of the mental conditions we ourselves live in everyday. Earlier I said that the cetaceans represent the aspects of conviction, certainty, playfulness, joy and enthusiasm. These aspects are the exact aspects we hold captive within ourselves. We don’t allow these aspects of ourselves to be expressed freely in the way we may wish to in the same way I believe the captive cetaceans wish to express their natural behaviour freely in the wild as well.
To take this symbology a step further, I perceive the ocean, the home of the cetacean, to represent our consciousness. The ocean, like our consciousness, is very fluid, vast, mysterious, varied and yet uniform at the same time. The ocean represents the massive potential and sense of freedom within each and every one of us. It is the deep within. The cetaceans represent an image of our spirit, our soul or who we wish to be. We wish to explore our consciousness freely, boldly, playfully and enthusiastically, just as the cetaceans explore the ocean.
The situation at Marineland and marine parks around the world is representative of the limitations we have placed on ourselves. We have limited ourselves to a very extreme degree so that the depth of our consciousness is but a shadow of what it could be, and we explore this limited mental environment with a sense of burden and sadness. We sit in our limited consciousness while building up negative emotions more and more until we are living in utter mental filth. We feel the pain of this limitation and we yearn to break free, but we can’t. We continue to hold ourselves captive so that we may be seen as productive people or people of worth to the audience watching us. We put on a show to portray a sense of happiness and exuberance, all the while deeply desiring to break free and express our true nature.
The moment we ourselves finally decide to stop living to be productive for others and start living to be true to ourselves is the moment we will realize the animals’ plight in zoos, aquariums and water parks around the world. The moment we break free from our limited minds and express our true nature is the moment we will release the animals we hold captive. The moment we stop polluting our own consciousness with negativity is the moment we stop polluting the oceans and the habitats of the animals with the wastes of our “productivity”.
The reflection is there for us to see, if we choose to look at it as a reflection. The animals in Marineland and other water parks are there to reflect to us what we are doing to ourselves and what we are doing to them as a result. I am grateful for the fact that these captive animals have provided this reflection out of their unconditional love for us. I keep the dolphins and whales in mind to remind myself of the potential within us all. I look forward to seeing positive reflections from them and interacting with them in a more joyful and loving manner, in their natural home, when we have finally learned from the negative reflections being portrayed today.
