The dolphin tattoo have to be one of the dark house tattoos that doesn’t belong to the main stream in terms of popularity but has received a lot of praise and love among tattoo lovers. In this blog post, I am going to share with you some of the best dolphin tattoo ideas. But before that, let’s talk about the interesting meanings of dolphin tattoos.
Dolphin Tattoo Meaning
Dolphin tattoos are associated with a lot of different meanings. These meanings come from the character of dolphins and also myths and stories about them. If you are considering getting a dolphin tattoo, let’s first look at the following meanings that are associated with dolphins and decide whether they suit your character.
Intelligence
Dolphin tattoos are associated with a lot of different meanings. As one of the most intelligent creatures in the world (some people go as far as believing that dolphins are smarter than humans), the dolphins of course has the symbolic meaning of intelligence.
Peace
In myths that come from sailors long time ago, dolphins saved lives of sailors by saving them from drowning and bring them back home. Dolphins’ kindness and peaceful relationship with humans over time make them the symbol of peace.
Closeness to Family
Due to the fact that the dolphins seem to be always swimming together in groups all the time, the dolphins are often used for symbolizing closeness to family.
Playfulness
The cute appearance of dolphins and the impression that they are always playing, jumping in and out of water gives the dolphins a symbolic meaning of playfulness.
Additionally, from ancient Greece stories, the dolphin has the symbolic meaning of god. The solar dolphin, the dolphin that appears with the sun, and the lunar dolphin, one that appears with the moon, are used for representing two Greece gods, namely Apollo and Aphrodite. Apollo, or the sun dolphin, stands for health and rebirth, while Aphrodite, or the moon dolphin, stands for dreams and hidden power.
With so many positive meanings and the beautiful appearance, no wonder dolphin tattoos are so beloved. Now, let’s check out some of the most beautiful designs.
Dolphin Belly Button Tattoo
I will start off the list with a usually not-so-popular placement, and that’s to have a simple, small dolphin tattoo around the belly button. The reason why this placement works so well for the dolphin tattoo is because of the how a dolphin’s shape looks like a part of a circle. A circle surrounding a dot, which is the belly button, is a beautiful and iconic shape. That’s why the dolphin tattoo around the belly button looks good and makes sense.
Dolphin Tattoo on Back of Shoulder
A beautiful placement for the dolphin tattoo is the back of the shoulder. A small to medium-sized dolphin tattoo works wonderfully, either as a single-dolphin or a double-dolphin tattoo.
Sun Dolphin Tattoo on Thigh
As mentioned above, the sun or solar dolphin tattoo represents health and rebirth. It’s a tattoo idea that represents people getting a second chance after some career or health crisis.
Moon Dolphin Tattoo on Shoulder
On the other hand, a moon or lunar dolphin tattoo are for those that want to unlock their inner hidden power to achieve their dreams.
Dolphin Tattoo Behind Ear
For a behind-the-ear tattoo, a small, simple shape usually works best, and a small dolphin tattoo is a perfect example for that. It looks very cute and stylish with ear piercings. This is a nice tattoo idea that you can subtly show off by tying a ponytail.
Heart-Shaped Dolphin Tattoo on Lower Back
Having a dolphin tattoo on the lower back also works wonderfully. One of the most popular dolphin tattoo ideas is a tattoo of a heart-shaped formed with two dolphins kissing each other. In this case, it can be used to express the closeness to your family or your other half.
Dolphin Tattoo on Waist
For those that have a curvy waistline to show off, it’s a great idea to have the dolphin tattoo done on the waist. The curves of dolphins just match the waistline really well and that makes it a beautiful placement for the tattoo.
Dolphin Bracelet Tattoo
Since dolphins just look really beautiful in blue, a dolphin bracelet tattoo looks like a gorgeous bracelet made of blue diamonds. If you like a cute and playful bracelet tattoo, this is one you should think about.
Mother Daughter Dolphin Tattoo
As dolphins symbol closeness to family, a double dolphin tattoo design can be used for express the close relationship between a mother and a daughter.
Having talked about a lot of dolphins-by-themselves tattoo ideas, let’s check out some other beautiful tattoo ideas that combine dolphins and other meaningful symbols.
Dolphin Rose Tattoo
The rose tattoo is definitely one of the most popular tattoo ideas, if not the most popular. Combining the rose and the dolphin not only makes the tattoo very visually appealing, the tattoo also carries the meaning of a person that values love, beauty and intelligence. If you like to find out more ideas on rose tattoos, make sure you check out our previous blog post on the best rose tattoo designs.
Dolphin Music Note Tattoo
The dolphin and the music note just blend together perfectly for this beautiful tattoo design. Not only that it looks good, the music note also emphasizes the playfulness of the dolphin.
Dolphin Anchor Tattoo
Both the dolphin and the anchor are associated with the ocean. It makes sense for them to appear together. Furthermore, the anchor has the symbolic meaning of loyalty. Put together, the dolphin anchor tattoo can mean being loyal to the family.
Dolphin And Hawaiian Flower Tattoo
As mentioned in a previous blog post on the best Hawaiian flower tattoo ideas, the dolphin and Hawaiian flower tattoo is a nice tattoo idea that expresses beauty, purity and intelligence.
Dolphins are cute and intelligent creatures that are widely loved. With the deep meanings of intelligence, peace and family, the dolphin tattoo is one of the best non-mainstream tattoo ideas. I hope you enjoyed the list I have put together. If you like this blog post, make sure you also check out our other articles on tattoo ideas and outfit ideas.
